Bernhard Schulte enters liquefied CO2 trades

Germany’s Bernhard Schulte is expanding into liquefied carbon dioxide shipping with its first CO2 carrier order.

The shipowning business of family-owned Schulte Group with a diversified fleet of 80 fully or partly owned vessels, has contracted China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore (DSOC) for a 7,500 cu m LNG dual-fuel capable liquefied CO2 carrier newbuild backed by a charter deal with Northern Lights, a joint venture between Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor The vessel is planned for delivery in 2026, becoming the fourth CO2 carrier for Northern Lights. All four 130-m-long ships are sister vessels with the same vessel design featuring technologies, such as wind-assisted rotor sail and air lubrication, that should deliver around 34% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional ships. They will transport CO2 from Northern Lights’ customers across Northwest Europe to the CO2 receiving terminal at Øygarden, Norway before permanent geological storage.