Norway: MoUs on Cross-Border Transportation of CO2 with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage

Following previous relevant arrangements on the international transport and storage of carbon (e.g. 2022 Belgium-Denmark MoU), on 15 April 2024 Norway signed a series of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with neighbouring States on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between the Minister for Environment of the Flemish Region and The Federal Minister for the North Sea of Belgium and the Minister for Energy and Climate of the Walloon Region and the Minister of Energy of Norway on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities of Denmark and the Ministry of Energy of Norway on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Energy of Norway on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between the Ministry of Climate and the Environment [sic] in Sweden and the Ministry of Energy of Norway on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage.

Denmark and Sweden also signed a similar bilateral arrangement:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities of Denmark and the Ministry of Climate and the Enterprise in Sweden on Cross-Border Transportation of CO₂ with the Purpose of Permanent Geological Storage.

The MoUs represent State practice on arrangements in the sense of London Protocol, Article 6(2), as amended by Resolution LP. 3(4) (2009) (not in force) and provisional application thereof under Resolution LP.5(14) (2019). As required, all states have previously deposited a declaration on provisional application of the 2009 amendment of the London Protocol pending its entry into force. In related news, Norway had announced two areas in the North Sea for applications related to CO₂ injection and storage on the Norwegian continental shelf. “The Ministry will now process the applications received and aims to award exploration licenses in the second half of 2024”.