Equinor plans to develop the Hydrogen to Humber Saltend (H2H Saltend) project, to produce hydrogen from natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the Saltend Chemicals Park near Hull (United Kingdom). The first phase would include a 600 MW auto thermal reformer (ATR) with carbon capture to convert gas to hydrogen, enabling industrial customers in the Park to fully switch over to hydrogen, and the power plant to move to a 30% hydrogen to natural gas blend. Consequently, the project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 900,000 tCO2/year. In its later phases, the project could be expanded to serve other industrial users in the Park and across the Humber. Equinor intends to take a final investment decision (FID) in 2023, conditional to supportive UK policy, with potential first production by 2026.
In May 2020, Equinor, Shell and Total decided to invest NOK6.9bn (€630m) in the 1.5 MtCO2/year Northern Lights CO2 storage project in Norway. The CO2 receiving terminal will be located in Øygarden in Western Norway. Northern Lights will be tasked with CO2 transport by ships, injection and permanent storage some 2,500 metres below the seabed. The project is now subject to final investment decision by Norwegian authorities and approval from the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA). If Norway decides to go ahead with the project, the first phase is scheduled to be commissioned in 2024. The project could be expanded at a later stage.