Report to the Storting on Full-Scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

The Norwegian Government today presents Report to the Storting no. 9 (2010-2011) to the Parliament. The Report presents the Government’s policy on development and use of CCS-technology. CCS at Mongstad plays a prominent role in this policy. The Report to the Storting (parliament) also addresses the role of CCS-technology as part of the policy on energy and climate change as well as ongoing work on CCS internationally.

The Report (in Norwegian)

Introduction and summary in English

-CCS may be key to reducing the global emissions of greenhouse gases. Broad and persistent international efforts are essential to make us able to exploit the potential of CCS technology. We are faced with a demanding challenge, and this Government is dedicating a lot of effort and resources into this important task, says Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mr. Terje Riis-Johansen

Full scale Carbon Capture and Storage
The planning of full scale CCS at Mongstad has to this point been a parallel process of qualification of amine capture technology and pre-engineering of the project. The work on technology qualification has demonstrated a need for more effort and knowledge than anticipated to make sure that there will not be undesirable effects on health and the environment.

In the Report to the Storting the Government endorses:
-Additional capture- technologies to amines will be included in the further work
-The planning process will be adjusted so that technology qualification will be completed prior to the pre-engineering of the full scale project.

-Implementation of full-scale CCS at Mongstad is a vital part of the Governments policy on energy and climate change. We need to be sure that we are planning a solid project. This project is clearing new ground technologically and is at the same time a very large and complex industrial project. By adjusting the planning process we will get a more robust project, and the pre-engineering will be based on a capture technology that adequately fulfills technical and environmental requirements, says Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mr. Terje Riis-Johansen.

The objective of the technology qualification is to make sure that the technology works adequately and without undesirable effects on health and the environment. The technology qualification phase is estimated to last 3 years and the following pre-engineering phase is estimated to last 2 years. If the issues related to possible health effects are solved before the 3 year period, technology selection will be addressed immediately. This may contribute to faster progress of the project. Based on today’s available information, a basis for investment decision can be submitted to the Parliament no later than 2016.

Amine technology is considered to be the most mature technology at this point. There is, however, a need for further knowledge concerning potential effects on health and the environment. An important dimension of the amine technology qualification is to make sure that the technology can be employed without undesirable effects on health and the environment.

The State Enterprise Gassnova SF, will safeguard the State’s interests and responsibilities in planning the full scale CCS-plant at Mongstad. Gassnova will in addition carry out a mapping of possible opportunities for realization of full scale projects in addition to the Mongstad project.

Research, development and testing
Construction of the CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) is 70 % completed. Extensive testing of two different capture technologies will take place next year. Both technologies will be tested on two flue gas sources, with flue gases relevant for both gas and coal fired power plants.

-We are getting acknowledgments that TCM is unique also in a global context. In the initial phase, the technology vendors will test their respective technologies. We expect that these tests will generate a significant amount of results. The Government will also continue the emphasis on the state’s research, development and demonstration programme for supporting the development of CCS technology (CLIMIT-program), says the Minister of Petroleum and Energy.

Transport and storage of CO2
The State is responsible for transportation and safe storage of CO2 captured from the planned full-scale CO2-capture plant at Mongstad. Gassnova and Gassco have done studies of relevant storage sites and different transportation routes for CO2 from Mongstad. We look into different models for organizing and executing the transport and storage project. Participation from the industry in the transport and storage project is an ambition in the ongoing work. The Government will establish a legal framework for transportation and safe storage of CO2. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is working on an atlas for possible storage sites in the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea.

-Norway is in the forefront on CO2-storage in geological formations. It is important to make the most out of this experience in the Mongstad project and to develop the expertise further for future CO2-storage. We are addressing the issue of developing a framework for transport and storage of CO2 on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the Report to the Storting, says the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mr. Terje Riis-Johansen.