The exhaust gases from Elkem and SMA Mineral in Mo i Rana will now be tested with the aim of future handling of the greenhouse gases. It is Aker Carbon Capture's mobile test unit, MTU, that will be used in this testing. The advanced test and measurement equipment will provide data that can contribute to a faster decision for the construction of a full-scale plant.
The project in Mo i Rana is based on the GassNova/CLIMIT-supported project CO2 Hub Nordland, which was carried out in 2018-2021. Before the establishment of this hub, a mapping project had established that the process industry in the region had good conditions for CO2 handling. The handling greenhouse gases has for a long time been a top priority topic for the region's process industry.
- Nordland has the world's greenest processing industry, but we are not resting on our laurels for that reason. CO₂ capture, utilization and storage provide opportunities for new business development and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, stated Jan Gabor, then marketing director of Mo Industripark AS on Elkem's website four years ago.
In 2018, the collaborative project involved the heavy regional players Alcoa Mosjøen, Elkem Rana, Elkem Salten, Celsa Armeringsstål, Ferroglobe Manganese Norge, SMA Mineral, NorFraKalk, Norcem Kjøpsvik, Oil and gas cluster Helgeland and Mo Industripark AS. The project was awarded NOK six million from GassNova.
The subsequent project, which has been named CO2 Hub Nord, has received an even stronger partnership, and a support from GassNova of a whopping NOK 24 million. With Mo Industripark as project owner, this project consists of Elkem, SMA Mineral, Ferroglobe, Celsa Armeringsstål, Norcem Kjøpsvik, Alcoa, NorFraKalk, Arctic Cluster Team (ACT) and Aker Carbon Capture as technology supplier. SINTEF Industry and SINTEF Helgeland are the project's research partners.
The process industry participants represent five significant industrial sectors in Norway; ferroalloys, aluminium, lime, cement and steel, and together they have a total emission of more than 2.0 million tonnes of CO2 per year. year. The pilot project in Mo Industripark is therefore especially important for the Norwegian mainland industry's emissions of greenhouse gases. The project will also study the integration of energy systems and the treatment of exhaust gases.
Aker Carbon Capture's mobile test unit, MTU, is a recognized and proven installation for such testing. It has been in operation since 2008 and has built-in Akers Advanced Carbon Capture fully installed. This means that the test results are scalable against large-scale facilities. The test equipment consists of six mobile modules that can easily be put into operation in the industrial park.
Parallel to the upcoming testing in Mo Industripark, the Research Council-supported project ADVENCCS is ongoing. In this SINTEF-led project, Elkem is a major player, and the project aims at innovative technologies and process concepts that integrate CO2 capture and energy recovery. As the process industry increasingly uses bio-based energy (charcoal) in its processes, it is a goal to reach the Norwegian process industry's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Elkem is aware of its significant and international role in the world's process industry. The industrial group has launched a global climate roadmap to reduce emissions towards net zero and at the same time increase supplies of advanced materials for the green shift. Elkem's roadmap focuses, among other things, on reducing fossil CO2 emissions, and facilities for carbon capture can be an important part of this work, Elkem's climate director Trond Sæterstad tells Rana Blad, adding:
- We are proud that we are now putting in place a new large test project for carbon capture in Norway. The project's main goal is to test, demonstrate and further develop CO2 capture in the process industry - and to create data and experiences that enable rapid scale-up to a full-scale factory.
Note
The state enterprise Gassnova was already established in 2005 and has as its main objective to promote technology development and competence building for cost-effective and future-oriented solutions for CO2 handling. The main goal is to be achieved by helping to realize overall gains from the work with the CLIMIT programme, Teknologisenter Mongstad (TCM) and Langskip.