ABL Secures Marine Warranty Survey Role on Equinor’s Northern Lights Phase 2 CCS Expansion

The Northern Lights Carbon Capture and Storage facilities at Øygarden outside of Bergen
Photo (c): Torstein Lund Eik/Equinor

(IN BRIEF) ABL has secured a marine warranty survey contract from Equinor for the Northern Lights Phase 2 CCS expansion in Norway, reinforcing its role in one of Europe’s most significant carbon storage developments. The project, located at Øygarden near Bergen, is a central component of Norway’s Longship CCS initiative and is expanding from initial operations toward a minimum annual storage capacity of five million tonnes. ABL’s Norwegian team will provide marine verification, surveys, and technical documentation reviews from early 2026 through 2027, supporting construction activities linked to the CO₂ transport and storage expansion and building on the company’s long-standing experience in the Norwegian offshore sector.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 6-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — ABL, the global energy and marine consultancy, has been awarded a contract by Equinor to deliver marine warranty survey (MWS) services for the Northern Lights Phase 2 carbon capture and storage (CCS) expansion in Norway.

The Northern Lights CCS facilities are located at Øygarden near Bergen and form a cornerstone of Norway’s full-scale CCS initiative, Longship. Developed based on Gassnova SF’s design framework, the project enables the transport and permanent storage of captured carbon dioxide, with an initial annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes. The infrastructure is designed to receive liquefied CO₂ from a growing base of domestic and international customers, while additional capacity is reserved for future capture projects across Europe.

Following the successful completion of the first phase of CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure, Equinor and its partners in the Northern Lights joint venture commenced operations in the summer of 2025. The project is now entering its second phase, which aims to expand annual storage capacity to a minimum of five million tonnes. This expansion is being delivered through a commercially based investment to meet increasing demand from European industries seeking scalable decarbonisation solutions.

Under the terms of the contract, ABL’s Norway-based team in Stavanger will provide marine verification and warranty services to support construction activities associated with the expanded CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure. The scope includes site attendance, marine surveys, and the technical review and approval of project documentation and operational procedures for warranted marine operations.

ABL’s Norwegian operation is scheduled to begin its work in early 2026, with activities expected to continue through 2027.

Commenting on the project, Subbi Nookala, Country Manager for ABL Norway, said the Northern Lights development represents a significant milestone in the energy transition for both Norway and Europe. He highlighted ABL’s decades-long experience delivering marine warranty survey services on the Norwegian continental shelf since the 1980s, positioning the company to support complex CCS developments.

ABL is part of ABL Group ASA, the Oslo-listed consultancy group that brings together specialist expertise across wells and reservoir engineering, facility and subsea design, and marine assurance services. Through this integrated offering, the group supports carbon capture and storage projects from early concept development through to construction and execution.

For further information, please contact:

Endre Johansen, Corporate Communications AS
Telephone: +47 41 61 06 05
Email: endre.johansen@corpcom.no

About ABL Group ASA

ABL Group (OSE: ABL Group ASA – ticker code “ABL”) is a leading independent global consultancy delivering energy, marine, engineering and digital solutions to drive safety and sustainability in renewables, maritime and oil & gas sectors. The group has offices in 39 countries worldwide and operates under four brands: ABL, OWC, Longitude and AGR.

SOURCE: ABL Group