Norwegian firm’s cloud-enabled tech bolsters pipelay ops for Northern Lights CCS project with real-time data

Norway-based ocean insights provider Miros Group has supported the laying of a 109-kilometer pipeline for the Northern Lights CO2 transport and storage (CCS) project on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Miros said it enhanced the efficiency and safety of pipelay operations by equipping project vessels with a cloud-enabled WaveSystem and RangeFinder wave radar for accurate real-time sea state measurements.

Northern Lights, Norway’s first CO₂ storage license on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, is part of the ‘Langskip’ CCS initiative. Developed by major energy sector players, it aims to help Norway and Europe achieve decarbonization goals.

Miros’ Chief Executive, Marius Five Aarset, said: “As the industry looks towards more sustainable maritime operations and the delivery of projects to reach net zero goals, Miros is proud to provide real-time data to facilitate the realization of both these goals. Our ongoing work with long-standing maritime industry partners, for projects across the energy sector, speaks to our vast experience providing accurate and reliable ocean insights to optimize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.”

The WaveSystem, which includes Miros’ Wavex and RangeFinder technology, supports safe and reliable offshore operations. By sharing sea state data through the Miros Cloud platform, project vessels navigated the offshore environment effectively and completed their mission on time, said Miros.

“To allow our customers to navigate sudden changes in offshore conditions with confidence, Miros’ systems reliably provide accurate and up-to-the-minute sea state measurements round-the-clock. Easy system installation and automatic calibration make data quickly accessible and securely sharable across the project team, facilitating the highest situational awareness at any time,” added Miros’ Sales Executive, Chris Moncrieff.

“Accuracy is key for laying pipelines; by utilizing the WaveSystem the project was able to deploy key infrastructure accurately and safely. The measured real-time ocean data helped the vessels stay on track precisely and avoid letting the project be affected by changing wave and weather conditions.”

The Miros WaveSystem is comprised of the Miros Wavex, a virtual sensor designed for wave and current measurements using data from standard marine X-band radars, and the motion-compensated Miros RangeFinder, a high-frequency vertical microwave radar providing sea level and draught measurements.

Northern Lights is said to be the first industrial CCS project to develop an open and flexible infrastructure to safely store CO2 from industries across Europe. It is part of the full-scale Longship CCS project that entails the transportation, receipt, and permanent storage of CO2 in a reservoir in the northern North Sea.

In December 2023, the European Commission (EC) awarded €131 million for the Northern Lights CCS project under its Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding scheme. The same week, a study was conducted to assess the estimated carbon footprint of the Northern Lights CCS project’s CO2 transport and storage value chain throughout all phases of its lifecycle, from construction to decommissioning.