©RVD |  His Majesty King Willem-Alexander visits Northern Lights in Øygarden, Norway, together with Minister Hermans of Climate and Green Growth.

From 12 to 14 November, King Willem-Alexander, Minister Hermans of Climate and Green Growth and a delegation of Dutch companies will visit Denmark and Norway. The purpose of this trip is to strengthen cooperation on hydrogen and the energy system of the future.

The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway are strengthening their cooperation on sustainable energy solutions. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) plays an important role in this partnership. As a major global investor in renewable energy, CIP manages €31 billion in capital from over 180 investors, making it one of the largest renewable energy fund managers worldwide.

Another example of the collaboration between the countries is the technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS is one of the few methods available to reduce emissions from some of the most polluting industries. It works by capturing carbon dioxide directly at the source, liquefying it, and transporting it to a storage location, where it is stored deep underground, often in depleted oil and gas fields.

The idea behind CCS is to prevent carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. This technology is particularly important because many industries still rely on fossil fuels for their operations. While renewable energy sources like wind and solar are on the rise, it will take time to transition completely away from fossil fuels. In the meantime, CCS provides a way to reduce emissions from these industries.

Northern Lights is the first project in the world to offer this infrastructure as 'open source.' This means that other companies and countries can use this storage for their carbon dioxide waste without needing to build their own infrastructure.

According to General Manager Tim Heijn, Dutch industries, such as those in the Port of Rotterdam, can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions affordably and sustainably by exporting carbon dioxide to Norway for storage. This offers a transitional solution for companies that cannot immediately switch to clean energy sources such as electricity or green hydrogen.

The process works as follows: the carbon dioxide is first liquefied and then transported by specialized ships to a temporary storage facility on the west coast of Norway. From there, the liquefied carbon dioxide is sent via pipelines to a permanent storage site approximately 2.6 kilometres deep beneath the seabed.

For the Netherlands, which is increasingly focusing on carbon dioxide storage and hydrogen production, Northern Lights presents an opportunity to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Thanks to this project, Dutch companies can reduce their emissions in an affordable and sustainable manner without needing to develop an entire infrastructure themselves.
With its extensive ports and logistics infrastructure, the Netherlands can more easily transport carbon dioxide to Norway for storage. The country has limited space for large-scale storage underground. 'By collaborating with Norway, we can assist the Dutch industry in achieving its climate goals,' says General Manager Heijn.
Dutch fertilizer producer Yara, one of the largest carbon dioxide emitters in the country, is among the first customers of Northern Lights. Starting in 2026, Yara will transport carbon dioxide from the Netherlands to Norway through Northern Lights for permanent storage.

The Dutch embassies in Denmark and Norway provide a range of services, including through the embassy economic network and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, the embassy can provides information on the local business culture, regulations, market opportunities as well as facilitates introductions to local business networks and hydrogen organisations. In addition, the embassies host events and seminars on various topics related to doing business in Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, such as market entry, regulations, and investment opportunities.