The statement belongs to Philip Loldrup Fosbøl, Associate Professor in chemical and biochemical engineering at Danish Technical University (DTU). As a researcher, he has worked together with TCM for several years. But last week he took part in a delegation of 47 compatriots who visited Norway to familiarize themselves with the Norwegian investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a tool in the climate battle. The represented both energy authorities, the employer’s organization Danish Industry, a number of interest organizations and NGOs, as well as many from both large and slightly smaller businesses with varying degrees of commitment within CCS. The program consisted of a meeting day in Oslo with presentations from the Norwegian authorities and industry actors with a focus on the Longship project, and then travel to Bergen with presentations and site tours at TCM at Mongstad and Northern Lights in Øygarden.

Success with cooperation between industry players

– What has been succesful in Norway is to create an understanding of the need for cooperation between heavy industry players in order to succeed with CCS, beacuse the challenges are so great. Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, all being owners in both TCM and the Northern Lights project, are good examples of that. In Denmark, investment in CCS has so far been based on competition between the actors with moderate initiatives and participation from state authorities. This is in contrast to, for example, investments and operation of our test center for wind farms, which is financed through the collection of green fees.

Philip Loldrup Fosbøl nevertheless sees obvious opportunities for cooperation between Denmark and Norway on CCS. – The storage capacity Norway offers thorugh Northern Lights will be interesting for industry with large point emissions of CO₂ both in Denmark and a number of other countries in Europe. In a longer term, I believe that Danish technology developers will also be able to contribute with good solutions for use both in capture facilities and in connection with the transport of CO₂.

Reduces costs after testing at TCM

High costs are an ever-recurring theme for carbon capture and storage with today’s technology.

– We have to acknowledge that, in the same ways as when planning and designing new wind farms or power plants that are necessary to take civilization to the green shift. But when we were presented in Oslo with the plans for capturing CO₂ at Hafslund Oslo Celsio and at Heidelberg Materials’s cement factory in Brevik, I was confirmed how incredibly important TCM has been as a knowledge arena and tool for the industry to optimize costs for investments and operation of the capture facilities. I believe it has been absolutely crucial that they have had TCM to carry out tests and make improvements to the technologies chosen for these projects.

Fosbøl also highlights the importance TCM has had and continues to have as a mediator of knowledge to the CCS community globally about, among other things, results from the non-proprietary test campaigns at Mongstad. He believes that the Norwegian state and the industrial owners should join forces to continue the business when the current operating period expires in 2023.

– It normally takes five to seven years for an innovation-driven business to build up the expertise it needs, and you only become really good in your field after ten years have passed. That’s where TCM is now, with a record of a total of 18 completed test campaigns for technology developers as well as the open, research-based campaigns, and an organization that is well-trimmed for new tasks.

Amine technology must be constantly improved

Fosbøl believes that the mature amine technology will be dominant in the CCS market for at least 20 years, before it is possibly replaced by new and more cost-effective technologies.

– But it is with the amine-based technologies as eith the electric car; models will continue to be developed with solutions that have better performance and qualities than the one that was last launched. For this, the industry needs TCM as an arena, because no one else can offer similiar test facilities. The same of course applies to developers of new trapping technologies based on completely differnt principles, because TCM possesses unique expertise and has arranged for testing of these as well. In other words, TCM has big tasks ahead – and I look forward to following the business for many years to come, says Philip Loldrup Fosbøl.