Insights and Commentaries
Gassnova hosts a Norwegian CCS Safari
17th August 2017
Topic(s): Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS)
The Institute Member, Gassnova, hosted a Norwegian CCS Safari from 8 to 10 August. The CCS Safari, which was organised mainly for national and international press, had the working title “Exploring and learning about the Norwegian CCS Highway”, introduced both Norwegian CCS activities in general and the ongoing Norwegian full-scale project in particular. Gassnova invited both the press and participants from the wider CCS community to a reception on the 8th of August to kick-start the safari. During the dinner, which came with the instruction to switch seating and tables between each course, the participants got updates from Gassnova and Norwegian decision makers on ongoing CCS activities in Norway. It served as a smooth introduction to the upcoming road trip on the following day, where the members of press and a few others got to visit all the three capture projects included in the Norwegian full-scale project; Klemetsrudanlegget, Norcem and Yara, as well as Gassnova’s headquarters. The Norwegian full-scale project is unique both because there is an ongoing competition between three different emission sources doing studies on capture to be selected for the final phase of building and operation and because all of the three sources represent industry beyond energy production.
In the early morning of the 9th of August, the participants to the Safari gathered at Klemetsrudanlegget in Oslo, where they learned more about capture of CO2 on waste and why this is an important part of the climate strategy of Oslo municipality. After a bus ride to Porsgrunn, during which I gave a brief introduction to the Institute, the safari had a stop at Gassnova’s headquarters. Here, Gassnova’s COE Trude Sundset gave an introduction to Gassnova and the Norwegian CCS projects and strategies, before inviting Gassco, Brevik Engineering and Larvik Shipping to talk about transport studies and Statoil to talk about their storage studies.
After this pitstop, the safari continued to visit Norcem at Brevik to learn about capture of CO2 from cement and how this is an important part of Norcem’s strategy to have net zero emissions on their products. Final visit was with Yara at Hærøya, where the participants got to learn more about capture of CO2 from ammonia production, and how this has already been done for years as part of Yara’s delivery of CO2 to food industry. All of the three emission sources visited, Klemetrsudanlegget, Norcem and Yara, communicate that they hope all three projects are supported all the way to construction and operation, as they believe this industry cluster of emitters will increase the chances of success for the full-scale project as a whole. Gassco and Statoil have both communicated that they have capacity to handle all of the CO2 from all three sources.
After a break including dinner, the participants to the Safari were dropped off at Torp airport, and thereafter taken to Bergen. Day three of the safari was spent in the Norway’s far west, visiting CO2 Technology Center Mongstad, also known as TCM. TCM, another Institute member, has the largest test facilities for capture technologies in the world, and the press got to learn more about how these facilities have contributed to the development of capture technologies for the last five years and how this will continue for at least another three. One can safely say that the members of the press were exposed to a large amount for information during the three days of safari.
Needless to say, Gassnova and the other contributors did a great job demonstrating the results of an ambitious Norwegian CCS strategy and that CCS is not only feasible – it works!