TotalEnergies acquires 40% stake in Norway CO2 storage project
- August 22, 2023
- Posted by: Quatro Strategies
- Categories: ESG & Renewable Energy, Europe
TotalEnergies, the French energy major, has entered into an agreement to acquire a 40% participating interest held by CapeOmega Carbon Storage AS, a subsidiary of CapeOmega AS, in the CO2 storage exploration license ExL004, also known as the “Luna” project. ExL004 covers an area of 453 square kilometers and is located 120 km offshore Bergen in 200 meters of water depth. The license is adjacent to the site of the Northern Lights CO2 storage project, in which TotalEnergies already holds a 33% participating interest. The first phase of the Northern Lights project is set to begin in 2024.
The Luna project is operated by Wintershall DEA Norge AS, which holds a 60% participating interest. The acquisition is contingent upon satisfying customary conditions, including obtaining final approvals from relevant government authorities.
This acquisition is viewed as a significant step for TotalEnergies to expand its carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities. The Luna project’s exploration area, if successful, could potentially provide storage capacity for several hundred million tons of CO2 emissions from hard-to-abate industries in Europe. TotalEnergies is focused on a systematic approach to carbon emissions reduction, first by avoiding and then by reducing emissions. The company is developing industrial projects for carbon storage to address residual emissions.
“This transaction is an important milestone to grow our CO2 storage offering: subject to a successful exploration, this area could enable the storage of several hundred million tons of CO2 from hard-to-abate industries in Europe,” said Arnaud Le Foll, Senior Vice-President New Business – Carbon Neutrality at TotalEnergies.
“With the Northern Lights start-up in 2024 and other projects under development in the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK, TotalEnergies is building a world-class carbon storage portfolio across the North Sea. Norway will play a leading role in this portfolio thanks to its large geological storages and supportive government policies.”
With projects like Northern Lights in Norway, Aramis in the Netherlands, and Bifrost in Denmark, TotalEnergies aims to contribute to the substantial decarbonization of European businesses. The company’s comprehensive portfolio of projects across the North Sea reflects its commitment to carbon neutrality and aligns with supportive government policies in the region.
Interested in learning more?
Sign up for Top Insights Today
Top Insights Today delivers the latest insights straight to your inbox.
You will get daily industry insights on
Oil & Gas, Rare Earths & Commodities, Mining & Metals, EVs & Battery Technology, ESG & Renewable Energy, AI & Semiconductors, Aerospace & Defense, Sanctions & Regulation, Business & Politics.
Read more insights
Platinum and palladium surge as fragile supply collides with tariff risk
Platinum and palladium have roared back into the market’s spotlight, and forecasters are scrambling to catch up. After years of languishing under the shadow of gold and EV hype cycles, both metals have surged, platinum by roughly three quarters and palladium by more than half so far this year, prompting analysts to lift their 2026 price decks materially.
The latest consensus now sees platinum averaging about $1,550 an ounce in 2026, a sharp upgrade from midyear estimates, while palladium’s 2026 median has been lifted to roughly $1,260. The common thread is a supply picture that looks more precarious with each passing quarter, colliding with policy uncertainty and a rotation of speculative capital that has chased gold to records and then gone hunting for the next tight market.
U.S. EV maker Lucid opens first overseas plant in Saudi Arabia
Lucid Group, a prominent player in the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing space, has celebrated the inauguration of its first international manufacturing facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This milestone is part of a broader agreement structured to bolster Saudi Arabia’s ambitious agenda for electrification.
Coal booms in Asia even as clean energy draws double the investment
China and India approved the construction of the largest amount of new coal-fired power capacity in a decade in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), underscoring how energy security concerns are colliding with climate ambitions in the world’s two most populous nations.
In its World Energy Investment 2025 report, the Paris-based agency revealed that China approved nearly 100 gigawatts (GW) of new coal plants last year, while India sanctioned 15 GW — pushing global coal project approvals to their highest level since 2015. The approvals highlight a growing trend among large emerging economies to shore up domestic power systems amid rising electricity demand and geopolitical energy risks.