Pilot Energy and KNCC Join Forces
Australian oil and gas company Pilot Energy and Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC), an international shipping joint venture, have inked a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the Cliff Head Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project. This strategic alliance targets the provision of maritime transportation and offshore injection solutions for CO2 mitigation. The Cliff Head project is a crucial aspect of the Mid-West Clean Energy initiative.
Developing Integrated Solutions
These two innovative companies aim to enable industrial emitters to transport liquid CO2 (LCO2) at ambient temperature to the Cliff Head CCS project site. There, CO2 will be permanently sequestered. During the MoU’s initial three-year duration, Pilot and KNCC will assess the technical and economic aspects of offering a CO2 transportation service, initially focusing on emitters in Western Australia’s Kwinana Industrial Area. All associated costs will be borne individually by each party.
Cliff Head CCS Project’s Potential
The Cliff Head initiative involves converting the operational offshore oil field into a sustainable CO2 storage operation. The project has the potential to store over one million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) of CO2 through 2050, reaching a total capacity of over 50 million metric tons. Established in January 2022, the KNCC joint venture combines Nippon Yusen Kaisha of Japan and Norway’s Knutsen Group, providing marine transportation of CO2 and the injection of gas into offshore reservoirs.
Leveraging Innovative Technologies
KNCC is developing a global business in liquefied CO2 marine transportation and storage, employing its proprietary containment system technology, LCO2-EP. This cutting-edge technology facilitates the transport of liquefied CO2 at ambient temperatures. Pilot’s Chairman, Brad Lingo, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the one-stop-shop solution for capturing, transporting, and permanently storing CO2 emissions. By supporting emission reductions in vital industrial hubs like Kwinana, Pilot is at the forefront of the fight against climate change.
KNCC’s CEO, Anders Lepsøe, shared his dedication to realizing the Cliff Head CCS Project by leveraging cost-effective, flexible, and scalable LCO2-EP technology to transport LCO2 and inject it into offshore CO2 reservoirs. Through this innovative partnership, both companies aim to transform the approach to carbon capture and storage on a global scale.
