Northern Thorning Storage, a new Fidelis energy company, has obtained an exploration license for the Thorning structure by the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Public Services.
The company will soon launch an exploration work program to assess the adequacy of the structure for storage of safe and permanent Co₂, potentially allowing storage before 2030.
Norne will operate the Thorning exploration license in partnership with Nordsøfonden, representing the Danish State.
If the data confirm the aptitude of the structure, Norne and Nordsøfonden will have the exclusive right to request a CO₂ storage license, pending approval of the Danish Energy Agency (DEA).
Environmental permits and safety requirements must be met before establishing a storage installation.
Norne Climate Impact president, Lars Bo Christiansen said: “The exploration work program has been carefully designed to provide a complete understanding of deep geological structures and their ability to store safely and permanently.
“Ross, the exclusive subsoil of Norne and the partner of the wells and their long experience with the Denmark subsoil played a decisive role in planning the work program, which includes extended seismic air investigations with minimum environmental impacts, large 3D seismic surveys and exploration and evaluation wells.”
The allocation of the Thorning exploration license marks an important step for Norne, which has been sponsored by Fidelis New Energy since 2021 and designated as a project of common interest of the European Commission in 2023.
This development is aligned with the decarbonization objectives of Denmark and the EU, offering industries a solution to reduce CO emissions.
Exploring and potentially the development of geological CO₂ storage is crucial for Denmark carbon reduction objectives for 2030 and beyond.
Norne’s discussions with Danish and EU actors have led to a concept that reduces the costs and the environmental impact using installations for Danish and European issuers.
The company facilitates several CO₂ delivery methods in Thorning, with a receiver terminal at the port of Aalborg allowing the reception of the CO₂ of Danish, balts and European transmitters.
Fidelis New Energy Co-founder and president Bengt Järlsjö said: “We are impatient to work alongside DEA and collaborate with Nordsøfonden to explore the CO₂ storage potential of the Danish subsoil, in the hope of establishing Thorning as a safe site for the storage of Co₂.
“This license prize highlights Denmark’s management in decarbonization once again, helping both the Danish and European industries in their quest for significant reductions in carbon emissions. Since 2021, we have been actively committing to the Danish government, local authorities, the port of Aalbor and industry partners through Denmark and Europe.
