INEOS Energy and Royal Wagenborg have launched Carbon Destroyer 1, Europe’s first purpose-built offshore CO₂ carrier, marking a major milestone for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the region.
Unveiled at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands, the vessel was officially named by Lady Catherine Ratcliffe in a traditional ceremony. The launch is a key moment for Project Greensand, the EU’s first commercial-scale CCS value chain.
Carbon Destroyer 1 is based on Wagenborg’s EasyMax design but specially adapted to transport CO₂ under pressure and at low temperatures.
It’s built to high safety and environmental standards, combining maritime innovation with climate action.
The ship will link emitters across Europe to permanent CO₂ storage deep under the North Sea, creating a “virtual pipeline” between source and site.
“This vessel is a prerequisite for commercial-scale CCS across the continent,” said Mads Weng Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe. “It will transport captured CO₂ to secure, certified storage 1,800 metres below the seabed.”
The carrier will operate between the new CO₂ terminal in Denmark’s Port of Esbjerg and the Nini West platform offshore.
Construction is already underway on the Esbjerg terminal, which will feature six storage tanks and infrastructure to load CO₂ onto the vessel.
Captured CO₂ will initially come from Danish biogas plants and be delivered by truck.
Once stored temporarily at the terminal, it will be transferred to the ship and injected into depleted oil reservoirs for permanent storage.
The ship is expected to be operational by early 2026, in time for the full launch of Project Greensand’s commercial CO₂ storage phase.
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