INEOS Energy and Royal Wagenborg have today launched and named the first European built offshore CO2 carrier to enable carbon capture storage across Europe. The launch and naming of Carbon Destroyer 1 marks a defining moment in the development of Project Greensand and the EU’s first commercial -scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.

Lady Catherine Ratcliffe, as Godmother of the vessel, performed the traditional naming ceremony, to launch the carrier at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands, as part of a close partnership between Royal Wagenborg and INEOS Energy.  

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, says: “The launch of Carbon Destroyer 1 is an important next step for Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe. We are demonstrating that Carbon Storage is commercially viable and a far better way to decarbonise Europe without its deindustrialisation.”

Egbert Vuursteen, CEO of Wagenborg, says: “This launch is a defining moment for Wagenborg. It combines over a century of maritime experience with a forward-looking vision of sustainability. As the first European-built offshore CO₂ carrier, this vessel positions us — and our partners — at the forefront of the energy transition in Europe.”

The Carbon Destroyer 1 carrier is based on Wagenborg’s EasyMax design and has been specially adapted for handling CO₂ under pressure and at low temperatures. It is built to the highest safety and environmental standards, aligning with maritime sustainability goals.

Through Project Greensand, Denmark is positioning itself as a hub for CO₂ storage in Europe, and Carbon Destroyer 1 will connect emitters with permanent, commercial scale offshore CO2 storage.

Mads Weng Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe, says: “Carbon destroyer 1 will transport captured CO2 from across Europe, creating a virtual pipeline between the point of capture and permanent storage deep beneath the seabed of the North Sea. The delivery of the first dedicated offshore CO2 carrier is a prerequisite for commercial scale CCS across the continent.”

The vessel is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025 or early 2026 – when Project Greensand’s is due to begin permanent commercial scale CO₂ storage operations.

The vessel will operate between the Port of Esbjerg in Denmark and the Nini West offshore platform.

In Port of Esbjerg construction is currently underway on a new CO₂ terminal, which will serve as the onshore hub for receiving, storing, and loading liquefied CO₂ onto the vessel.

Once established, the terminal will include six large storage tanks and essential infrastructure to support continuous and scalable CO₂ transport to the offshore storage site.

Captured CO₂ – initially from Danish biogas plants – will be delivered to the terminal by truck, temporarily stored, and then transferred to Carbon Destroyer 1. From there, the vessel will sail to the Nini Field, where the CO₂ will be injected over 1,800 metres beneath the seabed into depleted oil reservoirs that have been certified for safe, long-term storage.