On the Way to the “New” TCM

After an extremely busy last year, CEO Muhammad Ismail Shah had certain hopes at the beginning of 2024 for a bit more free time and family togetherness. Now, halfway through the year, he must acknowledge that it was just a hope. “Leading a technology center in transition is time-consuming and all-absorbing – and terribly exciting. This is largely because TCM’s wonderful employees give me a lot of motivation and energy. But I readily admit that it will be good to completely unwind for a few weeks in July, with a road trip to Spain’s sun and beautiful beaches as the main item on the program.”

Muhammad Ismail Shah: “Leading a technology center in transition is time-consuming and all-absorbing – and terribly exciting.”

A Royal Visit of Distinction

When the TCM chief highlights one standout moment in the first half of the year, the choice is easily the visit Crown Prince Haakon made to Mongstad at the beginning of March. He was greeted by cheering children, and during the tour of the facility in the beautiful weather, he was shown how CO₂ capture works in practice. The heir to the throne also received thorough explanations from prominent representatives of the owner companies about how they are working on decarbonizing their operations and the significance of technology testing at Mongstad for reaching their ambitious goals.

Strong Commitment from the Owners

“With the agreement signed in December between the Norwegian state (34%) through Gassnova, the industrial owners Equinor (22%), Shell (22%), and TotalEnergies (22%) have significantly increased their involvement in TCM and have now taken the lead in bringing the company into a new phase. This is reflected in their engagement in developing a plan for what we internally have called TCM 2.0 – a solid and sustainable model for organization and operation from 2026 onwards,” says Shah.

The fact that Norwegian authorities continue to follow the operations at the technology center with great interest was confirmed when the Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, visited at the end of April. “My impression was that he was impressed by everything TCM has accomplished since its opening in 2012 and the importance that testing and verification of technologies with us have had for the implementation of full-scale CO₂ capture projects, both in Norway and internationally.”

Satisfied Americans

“Typically, we could tell that during this half-year we have completed a second round of testing for ION Clean Energy at the amine plant and for InnoSepra at the ‘Site for Emerging Technologies.’ These are two of a number of American companies that have chosen TCM because we offer facilities and expertise at a level they cannot find anywhere else in the world. This spring, we also held a workshop with ‘lessons learned’ from these highly successful campaigns with participation from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). TCM stands out as a catalyst and an important example of what the collaboration between Norway and the USA in the energy sector has led to in practice. The Biden administration’s climate initiative through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) further enhances TCM’s importance for the development of CCS as an industry.”

But it is not only Americans who visit TCM to test technologies or to learn about the opportunities the technology center offers. Recently, 30 honorary consuls invited by Greenspot Mongstad were informed about the industrial transformation in the area. They visited the technology center and received a thorough briefing on the role TCM plays in accelerating carbon capture and storage as a tool in the climate fight.

CCS Tailwind

But in addition to receiving a large number of guests, TCM also travels around the world. Shah himself has given presentations at conferences in Florence, Copenhagen, and Paris in recent months.

“I have a strong sense that the ‘awakening’ related to carbon capture that TCM has long contributed to has now created strong momentum for CCS. This year, important decisions have been made about investments in large projects, among others, in the UK, and in Germany, which was long negative, the authorities have laid out a strategy for extensive use of the technology as well as for the transport and storage of CO₂ offshore. For us, this opens up significant business opportunities,” emphasizes the TCM chief.

Ready for New Test Campaigns in the Fall

At TCM, extensive service work has been carried out throughout the spring to prepare for new campaigns that are scheduled to start in the second half of the year.

“Thus, we are ready for the efficient execution of technology tests with the high quality our customers expect. We are also working systematically to follow up on ‘leads’ aimed at test campaigns and sales of consulting services in the years to come. The market for the services we can offer is undeniably strongly growing,” asserts Shah.

Organization in Transition

For TCM as an organization, 2024 has also brought a significant change as employees who previously worked on consultancy contracts have now become permanently employed by the company. Moreover, several new hires have been made.

“Such processes take time but are important both for the individual and for the company. With permanent employees, both a greater sense of belonging to TCM and increased predictability in the working relationship are created, not least for young families who are establishing themselves with houses and homes near Mongstad. We are pleased that TCM is perceived as a serious and attractive employer offering interesting tasks and competitive terms in a secure and pleasant working environment. Skilled and hard-working employees are a crucial prerequisite for us to succeed in realizing the ‘new’ TCM – and I can honestly say that we have that. I am proud to be the leader of so many competent and outstanding people,” concludes Muhammad Ismail Shah.