– TCM has taken the industrial lead in demonstrating CO2 capture technologies at scale and in solving major technology challenges that are applicable to the whole CCS industry.
Name: Matthew Campbell
Age: 42
Education: Master and Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Marital status: Married and one child
Affiliation to TCM: Principle Technologist 2019 – 2021, Technology Manager since 2021.
– When I was in university studying chemical engineering, it was always important for me to find a way to help the environment and give back to society. Fortunately, my first job out of university was in the field of sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide removal and these propelled me into the CO2 capture industry at a fairly young age. It’s quite nice to see now that the CCUS industry is picking up momentum and I am hopeful that many full-scale projects are realized.
– My first meeting with TCM was many years ago, around 2014. At this point I was representing a company which was trying to test and develop a commercial CO2 capture technology. My first impression of TCM was excellent, during this meeting I was very clear of the needs for testing and the TCM experts from different parts of the organization provided very relevant feedback, that made me feel confident that testing would be a success.
– Now I would say the Technology Manager role is a quite a broad role covering wide areas of importance for TCM. Firstly, to ensure that test campaigns have proper time for planning, preperation and excectuion phase to ensure each test is a success. Secondly, to support knowledge transfer of all our learnings from 11 years of operation, this is done through publications, conferences and our recently developed Advisory Services group.
– It is hard for me to differentiate the most rewarding work I have participated at TCM as there are so many fruitful activities. I would say I find it very exciting to have the opportunity to facilitate open-source testing campaigns that allow for publications and knowledge sharing, which will help the greater CCUS industry. Of course it is also quite rewarding to support proprietary technology vendors test and surpass some final hurdles needed before technology commercialization.
– In general for amine based post combustion CO2 capture, all technologies and future commercial scale projects can have challenges related to amine emissions, amine degradation, CO2 capture efficiency and energy demand requirements. Over the years at TCM strong focus has been put on these area and to ensure best possible de-risking can be put in place to allow large scale commercial projects to be successful.
– I think TCM has taken the industrial lead in demonstrating CO2 capture technologies at scale (~12 MW). TCM has taken initiative to take the lead in solving major technology challenges that are applicable to the whole industry. Some examples are:
– TCM does have dialogue with both projects to support as needed along the respective project development timelines. I think a lot of the learnings from the 11 years of operation have already been taken into consideration by these projects. Also, our experience related to emission monitoring and permitting will be extremely valuable for both projects moving forward. Lastly, I believe as these plants begin to approach start-up some evaluation and tests at TCM can be deemed quite valuable for troubleshooting unexpected issues at these plants.
– I believe there will always be advancements to CO2 capture technologies, either to resolve new issues or further develop more optimized solutions for existing issues. A good example is that many projects will be looking for advanced instruments and analyzers, which can be used to improve the efficiency for the capture plant operation. I think TCM would be the best place to evaluate these instruments before considering full scale deployment. Additional work can also be planned to help optimize a newer open-source solvent called CESAR1. Currently, the plan is to test a modified composition of CESAR1 in the amine plant in 2025 to see if the technology can be improved further as compared to MEA. I would also think that more dispatchable and transient capture plant testing would provide very valuable insights for the industry.
– My wish would be for a sustainable future for TCM, where we first continue to support the first phase of commercial projects for amine-based CO2 capture, while in parallel putting more and more resources for developing our site for emerging technologies. This can allow us to quickly test new technologies and assess if any can be potential gamechangers to reduce the cost of CO2 capture. I believe moving forward we will need a distribution of capture technologies that can help meet the worldwide demand for CCUS projects.
The Site for Emerging Technologies at TCM is now playing host to two test campaigns in parallel: MOF4AIR and ACCSESS.
“It may be hard work, but it is really exciting working on these two projects side by side,” says Ahmad Wakaa, while his colleague Roger Solheim adds “This is innovation at the highest level”. Wakaa is responsible for the coordination of test activities and subsequently reporting back to clients, while Solheim oversees operations at TCM’s third site.
Solheim gives us a tour of the TCM’s new site for emerging technologies to show us what is currently going on. The MOF4AIR test unit is a substantial container emblazoned with the EU flag and an inscription declaring that the project is financed with funds from the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
MOF4AIR stands for “Metal Organic Frameworks for carbon dioxide Adsorption processes in power production and energy Intensive industRies”. MOFs are hybrid porous solids that represent a new class of crystallised porous materials. MOF materials take advantage of their high tuneability to create specific adsorption sites that are associated for capturing CO2. Adsorption is a process that occurs when a gas or liquid binds to the surface of a solid or liquid (the adsorbent) and forms a molecular or atomic film (the adsorbate).
The MOF4AIR project is being led by the University of Mons in Belgium and gather fourteen partners from across eight countries. The Norwegian contingent in the project team is made up of both TCM and SINTEF Industry. All partners worked together to develop the CO2 capture process with MOFs from material synthesis at lab scale to the industrial pilot scale. TCM is one of the three demonstration sites where the performance of MOF-based carbon adsorption will be demonstrated for the first time in real operation with CO2-containing flue gas from Equinor’s refinery at Mongstad through a six-month test campaign. The objective of the campaign is to capture 90 per cent CO2 and achieve more than 90 per cent purity with relatively low energy consumption. “The results from Lab scale test were promising and we are really looking forward to see the performance of MOFs at this industrial scale with live flue gas” says CO2 Capture Technologist Ahmad Wakaa, who is leading the MOF4AIR project at TCM.
Next, Solheim takes us to see the unit put in place for ACCSESS, the programme that forms a part of the EU’s commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. SINTEF Energy is the coordinator of ACCSESS project. The technology used in ACCSESS project is CO2 solutions technology by Saipem combined with a novel and compact rotary packed bed (RPB) absorber developed by Prospin. CO2 solutions technology is a non-amine, non-toxic enzyme enhanced solvent for capturing CO2. The ACCSESS campaign at TCM will first consist of a month of testing CO2 capture from one of the flue gases at TCM with Saipem’s CO2 solutions with the pilot conventional configuration (i.e absorber and stripper columns). A second phase of two months testing where the conventional absorber column will be replaced by the rotary packed bed (RPB).
Solheim then opens the door to what he describes as “the holiest sanctuary” where there is a closed container housing the rotating packed bed (RPB). “The purpose of the test at our New Site for Emerging Technologies is to integrate the RPB absorber into the existing capture process. If this is successful, we will have taken an important step forward in seeking to reduce the environmental disadvantages of capturing CO2,” says Solheim.
Once testing campaign at Mongstad is completed, the plan is to transfer the unit to pulp and Paper Mills in Sweden and then to Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Poland for further testing as a part of the ACCSESS project..
“Test at TCM will mark the first use of the RPB in the ACCSESS system. Successful testing will be a big milestone for the ACCSESS project, and an important step forward to reduce CO2 emission,” says CO2 Capture Technologist Ahmad Wakaa, who is leading the ACCSESS project at TCM.
TCM’s New Site for Emerging Technologies is a hub for testing new technologies which are less mature than conventional amine-based carbon capture. In the case of both MOF4AIR and ACCSESS, development has progressed to such an extent following testing at Mongstad that a Technology Readiness Level of 6 and 7 (European scale) will be reached for each project respectively.
“We are doing our best to ensure that they succeed,” promise Ahmad Wakaa and Roger Solheim.
“Norway and the United States have a common goal to make technology for capturing CO2 available to industry worldwide.
A number of American companies have tested technologies at TCM, and the meetings we had in the Department of Energy (DoE) and at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) confirmed to us that they are very interested in developing this collaboration.
TCM’s Managing Director, Muhammad Ismail Shah, and Chairman, Svein Ingar Semb, went on a one-week trip “across the pond” in March to discuss possible projects for further collaboration with representatives of the US authorities and central CCS actors.
“The timing of our visit was good, because the Biden administration, through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is providing for large-scale investment in carbon capture and storage in order to reach its climate goals. Back in 2009, Norway and the USA signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on cooperation in the energy field, in which CCS projects are highlighted as an important area of work. We have been largely successful in this – among other things, TCM has facilitated test campaigns for commercial suppliers and for technology development under the auspices of research-based institutions. So we have a good basis for developing cooperation within TCM’s core business.”
At the DoE meetings, Shah and Semb met with the leadership team in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). FECM has been contributing funding for several years to the development of capture technologies at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 6, several of which have been tested at TCM to scale up to TRL 7.
“Their feedback is that this collaboration has worked well, and that the testing at our facilities and the expertise we offer provide value for money. They want to work more closely with us, not least to strengthen knowledge about emissions where amine-based technologies are used. We will be notified when they have completed the process of planning their upcoming testing activities, and we were also invited to present the findings from our open test campaigns at a conference in August,” Shah says.
The task of OCED is to demonstrate full-scale capture and storage of CO2 at six different demo plants with technologies at TRL 7 and higher. “OCED is a new office which was established last autumn. TCM has not been in discussions with representatives from this office before, and it was useful to establish a relationship and talk about what we can offer by way of opportunities and services, which can help them succeed with their demo projects.”
From the ministry offices in Washington, Shah and Semb went on to the small town of Wilsonville in Alabama, which is the location of the National Carbon Capture Center. This testing centre is financed by the US government through the DoE and industrial players, including TotalEnergies, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and others. The NCCC has approx. 100 employees and the level of activity is high.
“For the authorities, the NCCC is a central instrument for driving forward the development of new capture technologies. But the facility is smaller than TCM and technologies being tested have a lower maturity level (TRL 6). In other words, TCM allows the Americans to test and verify technologies in physical environments that are a notch closer to full-scale capture. But for both parties, closer cooperation and exchange of knowledge can provide significant benefits in accelerating the scale-up of carbon capture technologies.”
Svein Ingar Semb says that they talked about developments in the Longship project both during the meetings in Washington and at the NCCC.
“The fact that little Norway is now realising a fully-fledged value chain for capture and storage of CO2 is viewed with great interest and is gaining recognition. When the Americans eventually make plans for projects on the same scale, learning from Longship will probably be used. This would include regulatory matters relating to the transport of CO2 across national borders, where similar issues could arise for transport between states. In sum, we have a lot to learn from each other and to collaborate on, both in the development of cost-effective capture technologies and in the realisation of CCS projects that the world needs.”
“TCM demonstrates that the technologies the world needs to capture CO2 are performing at their very best. Now that the green transition is gaining momentum, it is vital that the world-leading expertise in our possession is put to use. 2023 will see us carry out five test campaigns, which will mark a new all-time high for us.”
Those were the words of TCM Managing Director Muhammad Ismail Shah during a meeting with Storting member Linda Monsen Merkesdal and deputy representative Benjamin Jakobsen held at TCM on Monday 20 March. The two Labour parliamentarians had made the trip to TCM together with a delegation of local representatives from the municipalities of Alver and Austrheim, led by Austrheim mayor Per Lerøy (Labour). Einar Vaage, a project manager with Greenspot Mongstad, took the initiative to set the meeting up.
During the encounter, Shah explained the importance testing at TCM has had for the realisation of the two plants now under construction in Norway that will allow full-scale carbon capture (at Heidelberg Materials’s cement factory in Brevik and the Hafslund Oslo Celsio waste incineration plant, respectively). Internationally, technology testing at TCM has also proven to be decisive for which suppliers are awarded contracts for large CCS projects.
“The Norwegian government was responsible for financing the construction of the world’s largest and most flexible centre for testing capture technologies. It is safe to say that TCM has proven to be a gift to the world,” Shah said.
“This gift would never have come to fruition for us at TCM or the Norwegian nation as a whole had it not been for far-sighted politicians who identified that carbon capture and storage is a key part of efforts to meet global climate goals. Our politicians, regardless of who has been in government, have also stuck to their priorities – even in the years when CCS has been sailing against the prevailing current.”
Shah emphasised that Norwegian industry and Norway as a whole are now profiting from this pioneering approach, not least through the realisation of the projects that constitute Longship.
“Despite reductions in our budgets, we have managed to increase levels of activity, both as a result of those coming to test technologies paying a larger portion of the costs that entails, and because we are working more efficiently than in the early days. This year, a total of five test campaigns will be carried out at the facility, compared to just a couple a year as was previously the case.” Shah added “This is a new all-time high for us.”
TCM has been operational since 2012 and is underwritten by guarantees from the state and its industry-based owners to ensure operation over the first five years and then for two subsequent three-year periods. The current operating period will expire at the turn of the year. Negotiations are now underway between the state and TCM’s other owners (Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies) about what the future will bring.
“The message from me and my colleagues at TCM is clear,” said Muhammad Ismail Shah. “There will be a need both for further testing and improvement of the mature technologies based on amine, which, for example, will be used in the Longship projects, and for the development of completely new and more cost-effective technologies. CCS has come a long way, but the best is yet to come! TCM has the facilities needed to drive technology development forward, and we have the expertise to provide training to personnel who will operate full-scale facilities and to help solve technical problems that crop up. In other words: TCM is the key to the continued progression of CCS.”
Eirik Romslo Kleppe joined TCM nine years ago and has been an important driver behind sampling and analysis work related to testing campaigns at the facility. “We have developed a high-quality system that maintains a very high standard – I would say it’s world class!”
“It was a bit random. I had a really great job with a company in Stavanger that supplies laboratory services to a range of customers in oil and gas, as well as in other industries. This was where I first got to grips with sampling and analyses, including in connection with test drilling and refining. However, my family were keen to return to the Bergen area, and I spotted the TCM laboratory vacancy and figured it was an interesting opportunity. Working on CO2 capture broke new ground for me in my career and represented an exciting opportunity. I don’t regret making that move one bit.”
“Back in my student days, I had a part-time job working on the quayside at the refinery next door, and from there I was able to track construction of TCM on the adjacent site. But what first struck me when I started working at TCM was not only that the facility is huge, but that it’s also extremely important in winning the fight against climate change. I also noticed that my colleagues were very down-to-earth and felt a great sense of responsibility in relation to the task we are assigned with. There’s a really good atmosphere here.”
Facts
Name: Eirik Romslo Kleppe
Age: 41
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering (Bergen University College) and Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (University of Bergen)
Marital status: Married with three children
Affiliation to TCM: Senior Laboratory Engineer, May 2014 – April 2023, hired.
“My task has mainly been to take samples in connection with test campaigns and analyse them in the lab – my primary focus has been on emissions. A lot of people think of me as the guy who flies up and down the absorber a lot, but it’s actually my lab work that has required the most time and effort. In the early days, there was no framework for this type of work, so we had to develop hood methods ourselves and document these in the best possible way. Based on the experiences we gained over time, we have established and developed a high-quality system that maintains a very high standard – I would say it’s world class!”
“Developing methods and continuously making improvements in them is never a one man show. What is particularly exciting and rewarding at TCM is the way people hailing from different professional backgrounds – engineers, academics and skilled workers – come together to discuss and solve various challenges through both a proactive approach and an understanding of what happens in the capture facility during our various tests. This teamwork is absolutely essential to be able to provide technology suppliers with accurate data, as well as for the spread of knowledge from open test campaigns that appear in TCM’s many publications.”
“Funny you should ask! You won’t be surprised to hear that the weather gods aren’t particularly accommodating at Mongstad, so sampling work can be very physically demanding. Besides that, situations arise from time to time where customers don’t get the results they wanted or envisioned. When that happens, we have to provide good explanations as to why, which can sometimes entail further tests to underpin our professional approach. You have to be able to tolerate disagreement and discussion, while maintaining an open and professional approach to whatever it is that is difficult or problematic. All that being said, things usually go well!”
“The short and simple answer is that for technology suppliers worldwide it has become a necessary mark of quality to have tested at TCM before introducing their technology to the CCS market. Everyone has confidence in the reliability of our test results.”
“Longship is incredibly exciting, and it says a lot about the technology suppliers for the two CCS projects, Aker Carbon Capture and Shell Cansolv respectively, that both have run test campaigns at TCM. The extensive expertise on hand at TCM will be useful when the facilities are commissioned, among other things with regard to measuring and making visible the energy costs that come with CO2 capture on a full scale.”
“There is still much to address, including what happens when flue gas enters a capture facility. The challenge is to ensure that the solvent remains in as good a state as possible for as long as possible. It isn’t only of great importance in terms of the costs associated with CO2 capture but also environmentally. TCM’s expertise undoubtedly has an important role to play.”
“Over the nine years I have spent at TCM, the team has shown an impressive ability and willingness to develop and change. This has been necessary, both because customers’ demands and expectations have increased, and because the financial framework conditions for the operation have become tighter. My wish and hope is that TCM will continue to have a place in the CCS industry and remain relevant to stakeholders both nationally and internationally. The industry’s task is to help ensure that the green transition is as affordable as possible. For TCM, this means being the driving force in the work to reduce costs when capturing CO2.”
This will be the first-ever Direct Air Capture (DAC) pilot at Technology Centre Mongstad, Norway, the world’s leading carbon capture technology test center.
The backing was provided in the form of an innovation grant from the Norwegian governmental body Enova, and is Norway’s first grant to DAC. Enova is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and supports the development of energy and climate technology.
“Even with maximum efforts to reduce emissions, we have already filled the atmosphere with such large amounts of greenhouse gases that the greenhouse effect will continue to warm the globe even if emissions go to net zero. It may be necessary to ensure that carbon is removed from the air. We need actors who go ahead and test solutions. I admire Removr for their initiative which can play an important role in the development of technology for carbon removal,” says Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide (Ap), in a statement to Enova.
Removr and it`s technology partner GreenCap Solutions have demonstrated proof of concept through four successful pilots to date. The company follows a stepwise-plan to industrialise DAC and establish market leadership based on its energy-efficient and scalable technology. Removr’s first industrial pilot at TCM will capture 300 tons of CO2 annually from 2024, it will be followed by the company’s first commercial pilot with a capacity of 2,000 tons per year in 2025 and its first large-scale facility with a capacity of 30,000 tons per year in 2027.
The company now works with a number of partners, including SINTEF, Metier, DNV, Citec and Carbfix on its next facilities while developing a concept for what will be the world’s first million-ton DAC facility based on solid sorbent in 2029.
Removr’s DAC technology involves removing CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Removr does this by blowing large amounts of air through a zeolite molecular sieve. When the zeolite is saturated with CO2, it is heated, and the CO2 gas is released so it can be extracted as a separate CO2 stream. The technology has been used for decades in the space industry.
“The support from the Norwegian government through Enova sends a clear signal about the importance of our solution as a pioneering project. We are in a hurry and need to scale the right technologies quickly to reach the 1.5 degree target. Norway has extensive experience in carbon capture and can take a leading position in direct air capture of CO2. Together with TCM, we believe we have an excellent starting point to remove CO2 from the atmosphere”, says Einar Tyssen, CEO of Removr.
The uniqueness of Removr’s technology lies in it being water-free, energy-efficient and able to capture CO2 from low concentrations levels, down to atmospheric concentrations. The process runs entirely on renewable electricity and is flexible when it comes to siting.
“We believe Removr will be able to become a central and preferred technology partner for streams with low CO2 concentrations, both for capture from ambient air and process gas, for example from aluminum works. Enova supports those who go ahead and Removr’s project is very promising in this context”, says marketing director Astrid Lilliestråle at Enova.
“We think it is encouraging that Enova has chosen to support Removr to make such a test campaign possible on TCM. Demonstration of technologies and helping to mature them to a level where they can be launched in the market is the purpose of TCM and we can offer unique carbon capture expertise that is globally recognized. This will be our first test campaign with DAC and we look forward to being able to collaborate with yet another technology supplier seeking climate solutions with ground-breaking technology,” says Muhammad Ismail Shah, CEO at TCM.
Einar Tyssen, CEO, Removr
e-mail, phone
Eiliv Flakne, Head of Media Relations, Enova
Removr is a Norwegian Direct Air Capture (DAC) company that aims to scale carbon removal to help reduce global warming. Leveraging the best available technology, unique Nordic advantages, and a world-class team and partners, Removr’s ambition is to build the world’s first 1-million-ton solid sorbent DAC plantto become a global leader in carbon removal.
Removr is owned by Vanir Green Industries (VGI), a Nordic business builder and GreenCap Solutions, a company controlled by the industry group BR Industries. In 2016, the VGI chair, Tore Ivar Slettemoen, founded Freyr Batteries and is still a major shareholder. Removr’s technology is based on Greencap Solutions’ proven and energy-efficient DAC technology. To learn more, please visit removr.no.
Enova SF is owned by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. We contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, development of energy and climate technology and a strengthened security of supply. Each year, Enova invests more than NOK 3 billion of public resources in solutions. These solutions help build a green Norway for tomorrow.
We have now featured a total of nine different publications that were presented at GHGT-16 in 2022. There is a lot to take into account if we are to deliver more efficient carbon capture.
“Being on the forefront of technology development and testing is not without its risks. After experiencing an equipment failure during a testing campaign, Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA) joined forces with specialists from the Corrosion Technology Department at the Institute for Energy Technology in Kjeller, to find the cause of the failure. As a result of a successful series of laboratory experiments performed at IFE, a mechanism involving erosion-corrosion was demonstrated to be the likely cause, providing valuable feedback for mitigating measures”, says Attila Palencsár.
During a series of test campaigns for CO2 capture using monoethanolamine (MEA) at the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), a failure occurred in the reboiler of the amine plant caused by severe damage to the plate heat exchanger made of AISI 316L Stainless Steel. Considerable material loss (ca. 200-250 µm reduction in thickness) including two perforations led to leakage between the solvent and heating fluid sides. Preliminary investigations by TCM revealed that during a test period when oxygen scavenger was injected, a rise in the concentration of metal cations occurred; it was considered very likely that the failure was related to this “scavenger period”. A collaboration was subsequently started with the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) to assess the failure mode of the reboiler plates. As reported earlier elsewhere, three plausible hypotheses were identified: the “erosion” hypothesis considers that erosion alone is sufficient to cause the failure by damaging the passive film from the stainless-steel surface and allowing corrosion attacks to develop even under normal operation conditions (or abrading the steel itself); the “erosion and enhanced corrosivity” hypothesis considers that erosion could remove passivity, but the specific chemistry in the scavenger period is also required to prevent rapid re-passivation and to sustain severe corrosion; the “enhanced corrosivity” hypothesis implies that the specific chemistry in the scavenger period can cause depassivation and sustain a considerably high corrosion rate, even in the absence of erosion. This paper presents the results of laboratory testing to validate the erosion and enhanced corrosivity hypothesis. An experimental setup based on the radial impeller concept was developed around a commercial glass autoclave. Experiments were conducted with used solvent from the TCM plant, simulating i.a. different plant conditions: anoxic rich MEA with an excess of oxygen scavenger and oxygenated rich MEA with scavenger and an excess of oxygen. Significant damage of the stainless-steel specimens occurred with erosive action in a used rich solvent with excess oxygen scavenger (i.e. anoxic conditions). The observations agree with damage of passive film, allowing activation of the corrosion process. The surface likely fails to re-passivate in an anoxic environment. The same mechanism is not sustained in an oxygenated environment where the surface can re-passivate. The results obtained suggest that the erosion and enhanced corrosivity hypothesis is valid and plausible. This mechanism may be the actual failure mode in the TCM reboiler.
“Removing CO2 from industrial flue gases to mitigate climate change should not come at the cost of our local environment. Amine-based capture can introduce trace pollutants to the treated flue-gas and can potentially cause harm if not adequately controlled. TCM have through many years worked to demonstrate that we can monitor and control these contaminants. In this work, we show that commercially available industrial monitoring equipment can help full scale plants monitor their emissions down to low Parts Per Billion (ppb) concentrations”, says Audun Dragset.
Monitoring and understanding the emissions of pollutants is vital for safe implementation of new industries. To ensure the safe adoption of amine-based post-combustion carbon capture to combat climate change, reliable and accurate monitoring technologies must be available for commercial projects to ensure they can monitor and control any new pollutants that might results from capturing CO2 from an industrial flue gas. As a test site for carbon capture technologies, Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) monitors pollutants emitted in the flue gas via online sampling and analysis as per regulatory requirements. This work presents the first results from a newly installed ion-molecule reaction mass spectrometer (IMR-MS) that was employed during a test campaign with the amine solvent blend of 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ) to monitor trace pollutants in the emitted flue gas. The primary pollutants were monitored and reported in real time in the range from 100 ppb (parts per billion) to 10 ppm (parts per million) and compared with extractive isokinetic sampling during a test campaign with an oil refinery cracker gas. The instrument allowed for real-time trending of the amine pollutants AMP and PZ in ppb range, which is the expected range required by regulators for some full-scale plants.
“It was great pleasure to work with National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on the development of process model for CESAR 1 solvent for CO2 capture process. This work is crucial for the deployment of non-proprietary blended solvent system for CO2 capture. I would like to thank NETL team for their major contributions”, says Koteswara Rao Putta.
The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored Carbon Capture Simulation for Industry Impact (CCSI2) is collaborating with Norway’s Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) on the development and validation of a process model of the CESAR1 solvent system for post-combustion carbon capture applications. The CESAR1 solvent, developed through the CO2 Enhanced Separation and Recovery (CESAR) project, is an aqueous blend of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ) with concentrations of approximately 3 M and 1.5 M, respectively. The process model, developed in the Aspen Plus® software platform, uses thermodynamic and kinetic models from the AMP-H2O-CO2 and PZ-H2O-CO2 system models distributed by Aspen Tech. Enhancements in this work include calibrating the interaction parameters for the AMP-PZ pair with thermodynamic data from the open literature for the AMP-PZ-H2O-CO2 system and updating the reaction kinetics parameters to ensure thermodynamic consistency with the chemical equilibria. The process model is validated with a set of seven steady-state test runs, collected over a wide range of operating conditions at the pilot plant at TCM (12 MWe scale) with natural gas-based combined cycle turbine flue gas (~ 3.5 vol% CO2). The integrated process model developed for the TCM pilot plant includes rate-based models for the CO2 absorption and solvent regeneration processes and predicts key output variables (e.g., CO2 capture percentage, specific reboiler duty) within ± 5% for the validation data set. This paper presents model development and validation work for an initial version of the CESAR1 process model along with discussion of future updates to be made to the model prior to its open-source release.
Two new publications released during GHGT-16 in 2022 are now available online. They demonstrate that there are opportunities to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve the performance of capture facilities.
“It was a pleasure working with all co-authors and learning about energy efficiencies that TCM obtained when using CESAR1 solvent when the CO2 concentration, absorber packing height and flow rates were varied while maintaining 90% CO2 capture. We also secured valuable operational experience in the use of CESAR1 solvent,” says Sundus Akhter, CO2 Technologist at TCM.
Abstract
The Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA) in Norway has investigated the CO2 capture performance with the non-proprietary CESAR1 solvent for flue gases with CO2 concentration like that of a SMR (steam methane reforming) furnace. The basis for this investigation is Equinor’s SMR unit at Tjeldbergodden methanol plant. Specific reboiler duty (SRD) is reported for 90% CO2 capture from flue gases with 10 and 15 vol% (dry) CO2 content when using 12 and 18 m absorber packing height. Tests at 10 vol% (dry) CO2 content confirmed that SRD levels below 4 GJ/ton CO2 are achievable with only 12 m absorber packing height, but lower SRD values are achieved with 18 m absorber packing height. This illustrates that a more compact absorber will give lower CAPEX at the expense of a higher heat requirement for the CO2 stripper. During the tests, precipitation was observed in the absorber packing despite that the overall absorber condition were unfavorable for this to occur. Also, foaming in stripper was observed and mitigated by the use of anti-foam.
“The purpose of this project was to build and evaluate predictive models for the TCM carbon capture facility. If successful, the methods used could reduce operational costs and increase the efficiency of carbon capture facilities. The models were built using ‘multivariate data analysis’ on previously recorded data provided by TCM. It was found that some components were possible to model with available data, whereas others would require new measurement instruments to be installed and added to the models,” says Lars Williams, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Bergen.
Cost-effective operation of amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture facilities is important for successfully implementing the technology on a broad industrial scale to reach current climate objectives. Technology Centre Mongstad has benchmarked performance of such technologies in a generic amine plant since 2012. This work utilized historic plant process and laboratory data collected during a test campaign with 2-aminoethan-1-ol (MEA) in 2015. The aim of this work was to employ multivariate analysis to develop models to predict laboratory results for CO2 content (Total Inorganic Carbon) and amine functionalities (total alkalinity) in the amine solvent. Predictive models were made based on process variables alone, spectroscopic data alone and data fusion models. The process model could explain 99% of the variance for total inorganic carbon in the Lean solvent stream. The Rich solvent is more chemically complex and requires the use of spectroscopic data to explain 95-99% of the variance. In this work we demonstrated how multivariate data analysis can be employed to predict solvent parameters that can be reported in real time for improved control of the capture process.
More than 160 people have downloaded the next two articles that we now present to you readers that were shared during the 16th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference 2022 in Lyon in France.
“Understanding solvent degradation and thermal reclaiming will be important for all future large scale CO2 capture projects and I was very happy contribute to this paper,” says Matthew Campbell, Technology manager at TCM.
Abstract
The Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA) in Norway has investigated degradation and amine losses for the non[1]proprietary solvent CESAR1 which is a mixture of water, amino-2-methylpropanol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ). Results have been explored during the ALIGN CCUS testing campaign which utilized the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) based heat and power plant (CHP) flue gas with an inlet CO2 concentration around 3.7 vol%. It has been demonstrated that there is a significant impact on amine losses through degradation when the inlet NO2 concentration entering the CO2 absorber is increased. The increase in NO2 concentration in the flue gas resulted from Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) operation with no ammonia injection. Degradation results have also been shared for the residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) flue gas from the Equinor refinery with an inlet CO2 concentration around 13.5 vol%. Due to the impurities in the RFCC flue gas higher amine losses through degradation are observed compared to CHP flue gas testing. Also, amine losses through degradation for CESAR1 solvent were compared against historical TCM results for monoethanolamine (MEA). The results indicate significantly lower amine losses for CESAR1 as compared to MEA for both CHP and RFCC flue gases. Thermal reclaiming has also been performed on the aged CESAR1 solvent and effective operation was achieved with acceptably low amine losses during semi-continuous reclaiming operation. Future testing at TCM in the laboratory and full-scale plant are planned to have a better understanding of the major causes for amine solvent degradation.
“It was wonderful experience to work with AspenTech for the developing CO2 capture process cost baseline using non-proprietary MEA solvent. Thorough discussions and working sessions with AspenTech experts together with 10 years of practical operational knowledge at TCM helped in formulating the methodology for cost estimation of CO2 capture process which is helpful for academic and industrial professionals in developing reliable project costs. I would like to thank AspenTech for their valuable contribution,” says Koteswara Rao Putta, CO2 Capture Technologist at TCM.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is essential to achieve Net-zero emissions targets. The IEA sustainable development scenarios also emphasize the importance of CCUS. Post-combustion CO2 capture using amine solvents is the most mature technology among several options available and amine-based CO2 capture projects have been demonstrated at industrial scale. Several new vendors and technology developers are working on multiple innovative and advanced CO2 capture concepts. Industrial clients, project developers targeting the CO2 capture projects in their facilities require reliable and updated costing information using non-proprietary solvents to develop investment strategies, portfolios and evaluate the commercial project bids for CO2 capture. The CO2 project cost estimation depends on several factors like solvent used, amount of flue gas treated, accuracy of the simulation tool/model used for designing the CO2 capture plant, quality and size of experimental pilot data used for model validation, accurate representation of the capture facility while keeping the columns hydraulics suitable for practical operation, consideration of space requirements for column internals, design of plate heat exchangers and other packaged items like filter package and reclaiming units. Domain knowledge and practical operational experience are also crucial to perform the study. Selection of appropriate material of construction also plays a key role in accuracy of cost estimation. Technology Centre Mongstad’s 10 years of operational knowledge and experience together with AspenTech’s expert team worked together to perform a reliable and accurate costing exercise by considering all essential elements of CO2 capture process and project. The key finding from the current costing baseline study are columns material costs found to account for 63% of total CO2 capture process equipment material costs and absorber alone accounts for 45% of these total equipment material costs. The total capital expenditure for capturing 90% CO2 from 555 MWe Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant using aq. 30 wt% MEA solvent is estimated to be around 326.6 Million USD. Annual total operating costs are estimated to be 47 Million USD. Assuming 25 years of plant life, the cost of CO2 capture is calculated to be 47 USD/ton.
Gerard Lombardo has been a key person in the operation of TCM since the test facility was opened in 2012.
Over the years, the knowledgeable and approachable Frenchman has found solutions to countless technical complications – an effort that both customers, partners and colleagues have benefited from. But now he is retiring and is looking forward to his new life.
– I have worked with chemistry and chemical processes throughout my career. In 2007, I was hired as a consultant by Gassnova to participate in the project for CO2 capture from the gas power plant at Kårstø and was employed by the company two years later. The task then was planning of full-scale capture of the refinery at Mongstad. As is well known, nothing came of these projects, but I was nevertheless «hooked». So, when I was asked to be process engineer for the technology centre, it was easy to accept the offer.
– I came to Mongstad for the first time a few months after the opening of TCM in 2012 and was impressed by what I saw. During the first couple of years, I commuted from my home in Larvik on a weekly basis. The first task was to assist Alstom in their test campaign at the chilled ammonia plant, which was both demanding and educational. Thereafter, I’ve been involved as an advisor in the planning and execution of the campaigns that have been carried out at the amine plan, as well as all modifications to the plant that have been necessary along the way. It’s been many long days with challenges that needs to be solved, but it’s been very rewarding and interesting.
– When I look back, it is our ability to continuously solve all the technical problems that have arisen when testing different solvents, that has given me the greatest pleasure. Capturing CO2 is complicated, and problems often occur. Solving these within strict emissions requirements while providing learning and results for the technology suppliers, requires a profound understanding of the nature of the flue gases and the different processes. When deviations occur, the reasons must be analysed, and the errors corrected immediately so that the campaign can continue and be completed within the time frame. The feedback we receive from our customers shows that the TCM-team’s ability to hands-on problem solving is highly valued. I don’t think anyone has left Mongstad being disappointed by our efforts.
Name: Gerard Lombardo
Age: 68
Education: Master of Science in Chemistry, University of Lille
Marital status: Married, three children, two grandchildren
Affiliation to TCM: Process engineer 2012 – 2023, seconded from Gassnova
Present position: Pensioner from 1 February 2023
– The fact that TCM, in addition to carrying out test campaigns for suppliers of proprietary solvents, also have had the ability and resources to carry out open, scientific campaigns have been very important for the development of CCS as a tool in the fight against climate change. This is because the results of the experiments with both MEA and CESAR1, which have been documented and published, have provided important learning and references for anyone concerned with developing cost-effective solvents for capturing CO2. Through these campaigns we have learned that both MEA and CESAR1 have their clear weaknesses and limitations. Therefore, both research institutions and industry must work hard to develop alternatives with greater utility. I would also like to add that the owner-financed campaigns also helped strengthen TCM’s international status and credibility, and thus helped to increase the number of suppliers who wants to conduct tests with us.
– For me, as a Frenchman, it’s a paradox and almost a fairy tale that Norway, a small nation with relatively minor emission problems, chose to build the world’s largest and most flexible test facility at almost full scale. It should have happened in large countries with a lot of industry based on coal power. But Jens Stoltenberg, and other politicians with him, had a vision, and were confident that the industrial and technical expertise in Norway could realize the construction and operation of a technology centre with an international format. The risk of failing was very high, but history shows that we have managed it – and everyone involved should be proud!
– The technology suppliers, Aker Carbon Capture to Heidelberg Materials (Heidelberg Materials) in Brevik and Shell Cansolv to Hafslund Oslo Celsio, have both conducted tests at TCM, and I feel confident that the projects will capture the expected volumes. However, as in all projects with new technology, there may start-up problems. Remember that it’s people, and not machines, who constructs. Errors must therefore be expected. TCM will however, be able to contribute with training of personnel who will operate the facilities and advise on modifications that may prove necessary.
– I mentioned the public- and research-based campaigns TCM have conducted with MEA. In short, these tests have demonstrated that this solvent can be suitable for full-scale use, but it’s demanding both due to efficiency and costs. The CCS industry needs therefore a new reference-solvent for use in full-scale capture facilities, such as CESAR1. In my opinion, no one is closer to developing and testing this than TCM.
– Going from testing a solvent at TCM to continuous operation at a full-scale plant is demanding. The CCS industry lacks a good tool to create satisfactory simulations of how the process for capturing CO2 from a point emission will unfold. Development of a good simulation tool is one of several technical tasks TCM can work on.
– Over the past 10 – 15 years, in large part thanks to TCM, applicable capture technologies based on amine technology have been developed for full-scale use, of which the projects in Longship are examples. The professional environment, both in Norway and internationally, have good conditions for contributing with solutions to the technical challenges that will arise. However, the main challenge is that the planning and realization of capture and storage on a full scale, is still far too slow for CCS to fulfil its intended role in combating the excessively high emissions in the world. In my opinion, it’s mainly related to construction costs. The lengthy processes associated with political discussion and decision-making, planning, and then construction of facilities, is in themselves very cost-driving. If you managed to get what now takes at least five years, done in three, the total costs would have been far more advantageous – and given industries with high emissions an incentive to start taking measures much faster.
– I have mentioned some specific tasks of a technical nature that I hope TCM will have the opportunity to work on. I am convinced that those who see business opportunities in the development of technologies for capturing CO2 will still need to carry out tests. This applies to improvements to mature technologies as well as the development of completely new ones – where TCM offers first-classes facilities at the Site for emerging technologies. But all this presupposes that the Norwegian authorities, together with the industrial owners, continue to show the will and courage to provide TCM the financial basis needed for continuing operation. I’m now withdrawing and becoming a pensioner. However, if someone from TCM calls and asks for help with a technical problem, I won’t hesitate to answer the phone, says Gerard Lombardo with a smile.
