CO₂ capture from SMR type flue gas using CESAR1 solvent at Technology Centre Mongstad

“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.

Multivariate data analysis of online-sensors and spectroscopic data for the prediction of solvent composition parameters for MEA

“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.

CESAR1 Solvent degradation and thermal reclaiming results from TCM testing

“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.

Development of CO₂ capture process cost baseline for 555 MWe NGCC power plant using standard MEA solution

“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.

Abstract

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.

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.

– What was the background for your interest in CO₂ capture?

 – 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.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

 – 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.

– What will you highlight as the most rewarding and interesting work you have taken part in at TCM?

 – 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

 

– Over the years, four scientific MEA campaigns have been carried out at TCM. What significance have these had for the development of projects for the capture and storage of CO₂ on a full scale?

– 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.

– In general, looking back since the start in 2012, what do people that worked at TCM, or are still working there, have reason to be proud of?

– 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!

– In regard to CCS, capturing CO₂ is considered the most technically complicated and demanding part of the process. In Norway, two capture facilities are now being built, one in Brevik and one at Klemetsrud in Oslo. How can TCM help these projects succeed?

– 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.

– CO₂ capture technology is mature enough to be used, but there is still a need for significant cost reductions so that the technology can be used more broadly. How can TCM contribute to this?

– 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.

– TCM have solved several challenges related to amine technology by MEA campaigns, for example amine aerosol emissions, continuous measurements of amine to air, etc. What other technical topics do you think are still lacking testing and good solutions, and how can TCM play an important role in this?

– 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.

– You are probably the person in Norway with the deepest knowledge of important factors for CO₂ capture. When full-scale capture facilities are put into operation, to what degree do you think the professional community are able to contribute with solutions for the technical challenges that will arise?

– 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.

– What is your wish for TCM in the years to come?

– 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.

“Results from CESAR1 testing at the Technology Centre Mongstad. Verification of Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) baseline results”

“In collaboration with EPRI, TCM have produced this latest entry in a series of independently verified performance baselines from the TCM amine plant. This new baseline, using the non-proprietary CESAR1 solvent and the RFCC flue gas from the neighboring refinery, can be used as a benchmark for capture system performance– useful for technology developers, researchers and academia,” says Blair McMaster, Deputy Technology Manager at TCM.

Link to paper (ssrn)

Abstract

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA) was established in 2012 to test, verify, and demonstrate different post-combustion capture (PCC) of carbon dioxide technologies. The company is a joint venture between Gassnova (on behalf of the Norwegian state), Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies with a common vision for testing and research and development of carbon capture for the deployment of large-scale carbon capture. The facility is located next to the Equinor refinery in Mongstad, Norway and is provided flue gas from a nearby combined cycle gas turbine-based heat-and-power (CHP) plant as well as residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) flue gas from the refinery. The CESAR1 solvent, developed in the EU CESAR project, was utilized for the first time at TCM for the ALIGN CCUS (Accelerating Low Carbon Industrial Growth Through Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage) project test campaign in 2019.

CESAR1 solvent is a blend of 27% wt 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol (AMP) and 13% wt piperazine (PZ). This solvent is considered a better solvent than monoethanolamine (MEA) in terms of thermal energy performance and stability (lower degradation) and has been proposed by the IEAGHG as their new benchmark solvent. TCM DA carried out baseline testing of CESAR1 solvent in June 2020 using flue gas from the CHP source, controlled at 5% CO₂ to simulate state of the art gas turbine flue gas, and continued with additional testing that lasted into late 2020 using flue gas from the RFCC source that has higher CO₂ concentration.

The main objectives of these campaigns were to produce knowledge and information that can be used to reduce the cost as well as technical, environmental, and financial risks of commercial-scale deployment of PCC using the CESAR1 solvent. This includes the establishment of an RFCC baseline performance with CESAR1 solvent. The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. assessed the performance of the CESAR1 process using an independent verification protocol (IVP) previously developed for TCM DA during CHP baseline testing MEA solvent. The IVP was also previously updated for use with the RFCC flue gas as this gas contains 13–14% CO₂ content whereas the CHP flue gas has ~3.5% CO₂ content by volume.

The IVP provides a structured testing procedure for assessing the thermal and environmental performance of PCC processes under normal operating conditions. During the RFCC testing, TCM DA manually collected extractive samples from the depleted gas outlet and the product CO₂ outlet throughout the testing period. As part of the IVP, EPRI also assessed plant critical instrumentation at TCM DA for accuracy and precision error based on a comparative analysis during testing operations and against calibration checks. The CESAR1 baseline process was evaluated during twelve individual test periods over three days in November 2020. During the tests, extractive samples were taken to measure process contaminants such as aldehydes, ketones, amines (AMP/PZ), and ammonia.

The extractive sampling and associated analysis techniques applied were consistent with the IVP recommendations. Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides were continuously monitored using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyzers on the depleted flue gas and the product CO₂ streams. Multiple measurements of the CO₂ concentration (FTIR, non-destructive infra-red, and gas chromatography) are available at TCM allowing comparative confirmation of test period stability. The capture rate was calculated via four methods. CO₂ recovery (mass balance) was evaluated, and the thermal performance (energy consumption) was assessed based on measured data taken during the tests.

The CO₂ capture rate achieved during the testing was about 91%, providing specific reboiler duties (SRD) of 3.2–3.3 GJ/t-CO₂ and the CO₂ gas mass balance closures were close to 100%. These data and assessments, along with the results from TCM DA sampling during these tests, will be presented in this paper and provide a baseline case for CESAR1 solvent in higher concentration flue gas capture cases.

The expectations I had when I started were met. Being the manager of TCM was a great job.

Roy Vardheim was TCM’s managing director from March 2015 to August 2017. He then became director of the TCM department in Gassnova, and with it also the company’s chairman, until he became CEO of Gassnova in February 2021. Vardheim has broad management experience from several companies, including as CEO of Norske Skog Saugbrug and Borealis. He also has international senior management experience from Borouge in the Middle East and BIS in Scandinavia. Vardheim will retire during the coming year.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– I had never been to Mongstad before I arrived on Monday 2 March 2015. Then I felt the joy of coming back to work and getting to know many pleasant colleagues. As a weekly commuter I got myself a good place to live in Austrheim, and could spend long days at work. The field of work was completely new to me, and I naturally took some time to getting to understand the business. I was used to the role of top manager, but the slightly strange «shop» in the borderland between research and industry was new and exciting. The work also gave me insight into political processes and dialogue with authorities, which I later benefited from in my work in Gassnova.

– What will you highlight as the most rewarding and interesting work you took part in at TCM?

– This was a period when we had to be inventive and creative to maintain steady activity at the plant. Bjørn-Erik Haugan took office at TCM about the same time as me as head of business development, and the efforts in relation to the US Department of Energy (DoE) to secure financial assistance to US technology developers  were to prove very important for TCM. Among other things, it led to ION Clean Energy carrying out a test campaign in 2016 – 2017. The company was led by Buz Brown, a delightful guy who boasted freely of the facilities and expertise of TCM. We took advantage of that by producing a video that is constantly used in marketing on the website; tcmda.com.

– Then I also remember the joy we felt in 2017 at having succeeded in getting Total into TCM as a new owner. The company thus gained three equal industrial owners; Equinor, Shell and Total, which has certainly been a plus. The level of conflict between the owners had at times been quite high and thus demanding for us who managed the company, but in recent years this relationship has been characterized by far greater harmony and constructive cooperaton.

Name: Roy Vardheim

Age: 66

Education: MSc, Chemical Engineering, NTNU

Marital status: Gift

Afiliation with TCM: Managing Director from March 2015 – August 2017, seconded from Gassnova. Chairman at the Board, August 2017 – February 2021

Present position: CEO at Gassnova SF

– You left your job at TCM to become head of the TCM department and later CEO of Gassnova. What would you highlight as the three most important results from 10 years of operation at TCM for Gassnova?

– For Gassnova, the management of the state ownership in TCM is a main task. All in all, I think we have solved this in a good way. We have brought in a new industrial owner in addition to the two who were involved from the beginning, and have thus contributed to consolidating TCM’s status and position as a company were both the Norwegian state and the industry take responsibility for business and operations. Furhermore, we have succeeded in getting more and more external technology customers to use the facility. Finally, I would like to highlight the strategically important decision to establish a separate test area for new capture technologies, the Site for emerging technologies, which we now see attracting developers of exciting technologies, and which can be of great importamce for future CCS projects.

– When you generally look back on 10 years of business at TCM, what do people that worked at TCM or still are working there have particular reason to be most proud of?

– With the history of the establishment of the technology centre, it was not at all given that TCM would be a success. In Norway, the «moon landing at Mongstad» cast dark shadows over the business for a long time, and made it difficult to explain that testing of capture technologies is a prerequisite and tool for success with CCS. However, the staff at TCM were able relatively quickly to create positivity about the plant and their own expertise in professional circles internationallly. For foreign suppliers, testing at Mongstad has become a necessary «mark of nobility» in the marketing of their technologies, and gradually the reputation of TCM has also improved much here in our country. Most people now understand that the Longship project would hardly have seen the light of day in its current form if TCM had not existed. The current government has also been very clear that TCM was the right investment at the right time. Everyone who has been involved in the operation therefore has much to be proud of.

– What is your wish for TCM the next ten years?

– The current operation period for TCM ends in December next year, and in Gassnova we are now working intensively to create a common understanding between the industrial owners and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy on the basis for a new agreement for operation the company. We definitely believe that there is a need for TCM in the coming years as well. But because this must partly be clarified and decided politically, neither I nor others in Gassnova can advance the content of a final decision. What I can say is that together with the management of TCM we are doing our best to supply the authorities and the other owners with all the information they request, and then we can only hope for a good result.

We believe that the coming year will be at least as developing and interesting, says Muhammad Ismail Shah, Managing Director of Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM).

He took over as manager in February and has led the company through a year characterized by high activity at the test facility, frequent participation in conferences and professional events, as well as celebration of TCM’s 10-year anniversary.

– In 2022, we have again been able to meet customers, partners and governmental officials face to face. It is important, both to explain what plans we have for development at TCM and to form an impression of what the industry in Norway and abroad is thinking and doing to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases. My overall impression is that both the ability and willingness to invest in CCS as an important part of the climate solution has increased considerably, while at the same time the desire and need for cost-effective technologies to make this happen is very great. At TCM, we will contribute to this by carrying out a number of campaigns for testing and verification of both mature and complete new technologies for capturing CO₂.

70 CCS-projects in Europe

This autumn, TCM has, among other things, participated in the CCS conference in Bremen, Germany. Here it emerged that 70 CCS projects are currently in process in Europe in various phases – more than twice as many as the previous year. The EU’s innovation fund is investing in eleven projects, and in the UK four projects, which are expected to capture and store 20 – 30 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, will receive 1 billion pund in support by 2030. In the US, the Biden administration has significantly expanded government support, where more than 12 billions of dollars are earmarked for various programs. Japan and China also provide extensive support to companies promoting CCS technology. In total, more than 20 countries worldwide now have CCS projects underway.

Longship shows the way

­– In Norway, construction of facilities at Heidelberg Materials’s cement factory in Brevik is underway. Aker Carbon Capture delivers capture technology which has been tested at TCM. Hafslund Oslo Celsio has started building its carbon capture plant in connection with the waste and heat recovery plant at Klemetsrud in Oslo, with capture technology from Shell Cansolv. This has also been tested by us at TCM. The Longship project shows the way, also because it includes ground-breaking solutions for the transport and storage of CO₂ on the Norwegian continental shelf. The fact that Yara has this year entered into an agreement with Northern Lights to store 800,000 tonnes of  CO₂ annually from a factory in the Netherlands on commercial terms – without governmental subsidies – shows that the industry is not only aware of its climate responsibility, but also sees its benefits in investing in CCS rather than having to pay dearly for its emissions.

Shell Cansolv to test for the third time

American RTI International ended earlier this autumn a six-month test campaign at the amine plant at Mongstad. After the test at TCM, the company has entered into a partnership with Schlumberger, which will commercialize RTI’s NAS technology. A new test campaign at the amine plant is now being prepared.

– It is Shell Cansolv that is coming to TCM for the third time to test a new solvent the company has developed. The test starts in the new year and the campaign will run throughout the spring. This shows that suppliers of mature technologies for use in imminent CCS projects still need to qualify such technologies for commercial use. There is fierce competition among the suppliers to offer solvents that provide the greatest possible CO₂ capture, low emissions and at the lowest possible price, and to document this they must carry out tests under almost full-scale conditions with flue gas with a CO₂ content that can be adjusted from about approx. 1 percent up to 20 percent. In this way, the test is adapted to the conditions in which the technology is intended to be used, for example in connection with the production of cement or steel, or for handling emissions from the incineration of waste. We are in dialogue with several recognized technology companies, several of whom have the same needs as Shell Cansolv, and who want to carry out tests with us during the coming year.

– This shows that TCM is still a necessary stop for the development of commercial solutions for capturing CO₂. We don’t believe that this need will diminish as carbon capture and storage now becomes an industry in large parts of the world. There will continuously be room for improvements to the technologies based on the experience gained in the projects, and for that the suppliers need a large test facility like ours and the expertise we offer to be able to test what works best, without being disturbed.

New catch technologies are coming

At the same time as the refinement of «ready-to-cook» technologies for capturing CO₂ from large point emissions in industry, there is a lot of activity going on to develop next-generation capture technologies, including with membranes and sorbents.

– This year, TCM has hosted two American companies, MTR and TDA Research, who have tested their technologies in our area for new trapping technologies, says Shah.

– In 2023, the plan is to carry out test of technologies that are part of a research project financed by the EU, with SINTEF Energi and TCM as assistants. We also get indentation from the company InnoSepra, which is developing a technology with support from the US Department of Energy. In other words, the activity level at TCM is very high – and we like it!

When Americans boast that there is only one NASA, we must be able to proudly say the same about TCM.

Baste Tveito is general manager of Nordhordland Næringslag and Einar Vaage works in Industriutvikling Vest as manager of the project Greenspot Mongstad. The organizations work together to faciltate industrial development in Nordhordland, a region with seven municipalities and close to 50,000 inhabitants.

– Over the past 50 years, a broad industrial environment linked to oil and gas has been established in the region, with the Mongstad refinery as a natural centre. People are pleased with the industry because it provides work for many and ensures the welfare of all who lives here. In contrast to many other industrial environments in Norway, the economic conditions for what we do have been stable and good. Thus, we have been able to build «stone on stone» and gradually develop the companies and society, Tveito points out.

Ready for the «washing machine»

– But now it’s our turn for a round in the «washing machine», emphasizes Vaage. – To say that what we are facing is a revolution is a bit dramatic, while evolution is a bit too weak. Something in between is the most covering. It is about companies with significant emissions having to be converted, and that all new businesses to be established at Mongstad must capture and store their CO₂ emissions. In this work, the outstanding expertise that TCM represents will be of great importance.

TCM was among the initiators of Greenspot Mongstad. The project aims to turn the area with Norway’s largest supply base, busiest port and largest refinery into a versatile, green industrial park. There are already around 60 companies in the area with 2,400 jobs. If all the planned pieces fall into places, there will be many more.

A hydrogen factory next?

An important key will be the realization of the project for the construction of a facility at Mongstad Industripark for the production of blue hydrogen as energy for ships and industrial production in the area.

– The plans for large-scale production will make it attractive to several larger industrial companies that seize the opportunity and establish themselves near the planned hydrogen factory. The dialogues have started, but are still in an early phase, says Einar Vaage.

Hot water from the refinery to be used

But the green shift at Mongstad encompasses far more than production of liquid hydrogen for energy. Today, significant energy resources are being wasted when hot water from Equinor’s refinery is discharged into the Fensfjorden. By having this water instead piped through a tunnel to the industrial area, existing buildings can be heated alternatively, while at the same time opportunities are created for establishing the production of biogas, fish farming on land and the production of feed based on fish waste. Wind turbines on asphalt are also included in the feasibility study prepared by Equinor, Eviny, ABP and Alver municipality.

– These projects are already in process, and will not entail any further interventions in nature than those done previously. The hot water from the refinery is transformed into an energy output of 85 megawatts, which places the plant on the list of the ten largest power plants in Norway. In this way, other renewable energy that companies in the area currently use is also freed up for alternative use.

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Needs expertise on carbon capture

However, Baste Tveito and Einar Vaage emphasize that an important prerequisite for success with the green shift for the industry at Mongstad is expertise in capturing CO₂.

– But we are in the fortunate situation that we have TCM, which for over ten years has tested both mature and brand new technologies for technology suppliers from all over the world at its plant at Mongstad. This environment thus has the very best prerequisites for also being able to assist industrial developers locally when they have to make their choices to reduce and remove carbon emissions. The business at the technology centre moves in the borderland between research and realizaton of full-scale capture projects, an expertise the industry will obviously want to make more use of. If the utility value of TCM’s activities so far has been limited for the industry in Nordhordland, it is – with the existing plans – obvious that their expertise will be very important in the future.

Important that TCM has good framework conditions

– Those of us who have followed TCM from the sidelines since its inception in 2012 are also impressed by how the company has developed. From operating with significant government support, the business has been adapted to a reality which means that actors who come to use the facility must pay much more of the cost having their trapping technologies tested and verified. This is a correct development now that CCS is finally becoming an industry that will serve a commercial market.

– At the same time, politicians must not become so eager to save money that they ignore the reputation TCM has gained internationally as a leading test center and professional environment with cutting-edge expertise on carbon capture. Remember that in the United States, NASA’s space exploration is supported by the federal government with well over 20 billion USD annually. If we are to succeed in the at least equally important fight against global warming, both the world, Norway and we in Nordhordland will need TCM for many years to come, conclude Baste Tveito and Einar Vaage.

From my point of view, passing at TCM is required for the vendor for de-risking the scale up but it is also the “necessary” stamp for having credibility in the market.

The words belong to Stephane Jouenne, who is R&D CO₂ Capture project coordinator at TotalEnergies. The company is one of three industrial owners of Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), together with Shell and Equinor. In 2021 Jouenne joined TCM’s Technical Committee (TC) and became its leader.

Stephane Jouenne is educated as an Engineer in Chemical Engineering at ENSIC in Nancy, France. Doctor of Philosophy – PhD, Material Science from ESPCI Paris – PSL in 2005 and has been working for TotalEnergies since then.

– How important is the work in the committee to your own work as R&D CO₂ Capture project coordinator at TotalEnergies?

– My activities in TotalEnergies and TC are fully complementary and interlinked. Being at the R&D, I need to keep an eye on all the CO₂ capture technologies. The amine plant at TCM is the “test centre” of mature solvent technologies whereas 3^rd site is the crossing point of emerging and promising technologies. There is nothing better to understand a technology than following its pilot implementation. You can really touch the performances, the operability, the benefits and the remaining gaps before implementation.

– What would be the optimal next big campaign at TCM based on non-proprietary technology – what knowledge gap does the public CCS community need closed?

– TCM has already brought a lot in the development of CESAR 1 non-proprietary solvent through ALIGN CCUS project and two owner’s campaigns. A lot of learnings were acquired on emissions, solvent degradation, operational issues such as foaming, performances in steady state and dispatchable operations (cf the recently published IEAGHG report on the effect of plant Startup ans shutdown, see https://ieaghg.org/ccs-resources/blog/new-ieaghg-report-2022-08-start-up-and-shutdown-protocol-for-power-stations-with-co2-capture).

– In addition, tests performed at TCM are ideal because of the size of the amine unit for developing and validating models for simulations. TCM has recently enlarged the CO₂ concentration range of the flue gas, that can now be operated between 4 (or even lower) and 20 % CO₂ content. A new test campaign investigating this wide range of CO₂ concentration, showing the benefit of the recently installed intercooler, with additional emission measurements would complete the development of this open-source solvent. Since solvent management can reveal OPEX intensive, investigating reclaiming technologies other than thermal reclaiming would be a plus.

– What is your assessment of TCM’s importance for the Norwegian investment in CCS through the Longship project?

­– For the implementation of CCS, CO₂ capture needs to be developed in parallel to transport and storage, it is the enabler. TCM fulfilled these objectives. By demonstrating robustness and reliability, TCM gave the confidence to the market that several technologies are matured and ready to be deployed. In addition, TCM developed a whole spectrum of expertise which are today fully at the service of the different capture projects of Longship. TCM is accompanying industrials during the preparation phase and is undeniably willing to support them when projects will be in operation.

– Do you think the Norwegian industry, supported by the authorities, could have realized this full-scale capture and storage project if TCM had not existed?

– Deploying a technology requires a multistage approach from the lab to the commercial deployment to resolve key uncertainties and de-risk the projects. With the amine plant, TCM offers the highest scale pilot facility in Europe and even in the world to test a solvent before its large-scale implementation.  If TCM had not existed, CO₂ emitting industries would have been more reluctant to build a CO₂ capture plant. Authorities would have to support and pay for this lack of confidence and the “learning by doing” of the end-users.

– What is your assessment of TCM’s role in the future?

– The CCS market should now grow rapidly. I expect that TCM will continue to share its expertise, offer its services and develop new competencies from the operational feedback of the CO₂ capture plants in operation. 

– Do you think the amine plant will be relevant for further improvements to this capture technology, especially to reduce costs by use of the technology at full scale plants?

– The two pillars for reducing the technical cost are solvent and process development. One seeks to maximize performances in term of capture and energy, minimize the cost of both the solvent and the process, the solvent losses, the emissions, the footprint and limit operational issues. Changing the whole process of the amine unit is not conceivable. However, there is still a room for improvement in evaluating the effect of some process modifications like for example intercooling.  Once built, commercial CO₂ capture units will have to deal with solvent management issues which can be OPEX intensive. Testing innovative flue gas pre-treatment technologies and alternative reclaiming technologies on the unit could bring a lot of value. At last, long-term testing of solvents would enable to investigate solvent degradation and emissions in more representative conditions.

– A last work: research does not stop when a technology is becoming mature. Operational issues arise new challenges and problematics. Tackling these problematics is a fertile ground for the innovations to come. 

– What opportunities do you see for TCM when it comes to testing of new technologies?

– The two first campaigns with MTR and TDA Research were performed on the 3^rd site. Although successful, TCM will in the time to come develop a specific knowhow and experience for operating these new technologies. In addition, TCM will transpose its excellence related to emissions measurement, operations in safe HSE context, process modification and technical assistance.

– Should TCM expand the range of offers for technology development within CCS? How?

– 3^rd site is already suitable for testing Direct Air Capture technologies (DAC). Adding a biomass boiler would enable to investigate BECCS.

– At last, even if it might not be the key focus in Norwegian strategy, we can think about adding the U in CCS to deal with CCUS. Having a site for testing CO₂ conversion technologies (which would require a CO₂ storage on the site) or even units combining both capture and CO₂ utilization should be pertinent in the coming years.

– 3^rd site is indeed a site suitable for testing a wide variety of technologies. As a general rule, whatever the technology, it is much easier to test a pilot unit on a dedicated site such as the 3^rd site with operators and operations focusing on the results and the success of the campaign. In comparison, when the pilot campaign is performed on the end user site, there is a risk of interference and a lack of support due to the prioritization of daily operations of the site.

Share knowledge and experience

According to the global agreement on climate change mitigation that was signed in 2015 in Paris 190 states agreed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. The major target while maintaining a high level of living standard, industrial and economic development is to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. The main ways of reducing greenhouse gases emissions are decreasing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency technology, transition from non-renewable energy to renewable one and replacement of fuel types in the power industry (transition from coal to gas) with carbon dioxide. In recent years there has been a lot of focus on the development of technologies that facilitate large scale carbon dioxide capture.

TCM aims to share knowledge and experience from the scientific testing campaign and results from collaborative work with different research institutes and universities to benefit the entire carbon capture and storage community through publications in reputed scientific journals and presentations at conferences. TCM currently has 49 scientific publications in recognized conferences such as the Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT), Trondheim Conference on CO₂ Capture, Transport and Storage (TCCS), Post Combustion Carbon Capture (PCCC), CCUS (Carbon capture, utilization and storage) and NETL Annual capture meeting.

GHGT conference series

GHGT conference series was formed in 1997 and is an excellent platform for technical discussions related to the field of greenhouse gas control technology. The GHGT conferences are held every two years in IEAGHG’s member countries. The conference series rotates between North America, Europe and Asia. The GHGT conference series is established as the principal international conference on greenhouse gas mitigation technologies, focussing on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage.

TCM Participation in GHGT Conferences

TCM is actively participating in GHGT conferences since 2008. In previous GHGT conferences, TCM has published results from several scientific testing campaigns conducted with the solvent called aqueous Mono Ethanol Amine (a blend of water and MEA) and CESAR1 (which is a mixture of water, 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ). TCM has demonstrated excellent capture of CO₂ emissions and reduction of capture costs over several test periods under specific conditions.

Publications in GHGT-16

The GHGT-16 conference will be held in the French city of Lyon from 23 to 27^th October 2023. TCM and its collaborators have submitted 9 full manuscripts for the GHGT-16 conference, of which 8 are accepted for oral presentations and 1 is accepted for E-poster presentation.

– These nine articles submitted in GHGT-16 comprised different studies and results. Articles are focused on the topics such as CO₂ capture rate, specific reboiler duty, emissions, HSE and operational challenges, solvent degradation products and rate, thermal reclaiming operations, real-time monitoring of solvents, behaviour of different flue gases, erosion-corrosion mechanism of reboiler and energy and time requirement during start-up and shut-down of the TCM CO₂ capture facility. One of the articles also describes multivariate data analysis and AspenTech data analysis used to predict solvent parameters and cost of CO₂ capture estimation for future campaigns, tells Matthew Campbell.

The titles of the article and their brief summaries are described below.

        I.            CESAR1 Solvent degradation and thermal reclaiming results from TCM testing

In this article, solvent degradation for CESAR1 has been explored. Results of degradation have also been compiled for CHP (~ 3.7 vol % CO₂ and ~ 14 % O2) and RFCC flue gas (~ 13.5 vol % CO₂ and ~ 3.2 % O2). The CHP case also evaluates the dependency of NO₂ concentration entering the CO₂ absorber on degradation. A comparison of overall degradation rates for CESAR1 versus MEA is also presented, comparing rates of degradation under similar flue gas conditions. Results from thermal reclaiming experiments performed on the degraded CESAR1 solvent are also presented in this paper.

      II.            CO₂ Capture from SMR type flue gas using CESAR1 solvent at Technology Centre Mongstad

The paper presents the energy performance obtained with the CESAR1 solvent when varying the CO₂ concentration, absorber packing height and flow rates while maintaining 90% CO₂ capture and operational experiences with CESAR1 solvent at TCM.

    III.            Results from CESAR1 testing at the CO₂ Technology Centre Mongstad. Verification of Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) baseline results

This paper describes results from the EPRI campaign conducted in November 2020 with the CESAR1 solvent using the RFCC flue gas. EPRI assessed the performance of the CESAR1 process using an independent verification protocol, during the tests manual extractive samples were taken and the CESAR1 baseline case was conducted at conditions as close to the MEA baseline as possible using the same flue gas source along with an identical packing height, flue gas flow rate, targeted capture rate and the stripper regeneration temperature. The SRD achieved using CESAR1 solvent was 9% lower than what was possible using 30%wt. MEA solvent with the same configuration.

    IV.            Assessment of Erosion-Corrosion as Possible Failure Mechanism of Reboiler at Technology Centre Mongstad

This paper presents laboratory testing results to validate the erosion and enhanced corrosivity hypothesis. Experiments were conducted with used solvent from the TCM plant, different plant conditions were simulated: anoxic rich MEA with an excess of oxygen scavenger and oxygenated rich MEA with scavenger and an excess of oxygen. 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.

      V.            Real-time monitoring of 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ) emissions to air from TCM post combustion CO₂ capture plant during treatment of RFCC flue gas

This work presents the first results from a newly installed Ion-Molecule Reaction Mass Spectrometer (IMR-MS) that was employed during the test campaign with the amine solvent blend of AMP and PZ to monitor trace pollutants in the emitted flue gas.

    VI.            Multivariate data analysis of online sensors and spectroscopic data for the prediction of solvent composition parameters for MEA

This work demonstrates 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. For this study data was utilised from MEA campaign conducted at TCM in 2015.

  VII.            Evaluating performance during start-up and shut down of the TCM CO₂ capture facility

In this paper results from Imperial College of Landon (ICL) testing conducted in 2020 at TCM are described. Tests were conducted to quantify the residual CO₂ emissions, energy requirements, and time requirements of start-up and shutdown in amine-based CO₂ capture plants. These tests used CESAR1 solvent to capture CO₂ from flue gas exiting from the natural gas-fired CCGT combined heat and power (CHP) plant.

VIII.            Development of process model of CESAR1 solvent system and validation with large pilot data

This paper presents model development using AspenTech and validation work for an initial version of the CESAR1 process model. 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).

    IX.            Development of CO₂ capture process cost baseline for 555 MWeNGCC power plant using standard MEA solution

This paper describes an extensive study using the program AspenTech and TCM’s 10 years of operational knowledge and experience to develop CO₂ capture process cost baseline for 555 MWe Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plant with non-proprietary 30 wt% MEA, this can provide guidance to project developers as well as new technology developers to assess different projects. The key finding from this costing baseline study are as follows: 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.

Facts about Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM)

The Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA), established in 2012, is the world’s largest facilities to test, verify and demonstrate different post-combustion carbon dioxide capture (PCC) technologies. The company has a common vision to facilitate the development of carbon capture technologies for the wide deployment of large-scale carbon capture technologies across industries. TCM operates under an emissions permit from the Norwegian authorities, ensuring safe and measurable results in every aspect of the operation.

TCM is located next to the Equinor refinery in Mongstad that has delivered two types of flue gas sources, see Figure 1 : (1) combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) based heat and power plant flue gas (CHP) and (2) residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) flue gas. The different flue gas sources enable TCM to mimic flue gases from different industries such as CCGT, coal power plants, cement, waste incineration, gas processing, steam reforming and oil refining. TCM has an amine plant, ammonia unit and module site for emerging technologies. For utilization of these sites, different vendors from all over the world come to TCM to test and develop efficient and safe technologies which can be used at onshore industrial plants in operation. In addition, scientific open-source testing campaigns have been conducted at TCM, serving as benchmark for commercial technologies.

Since its operational start-up in 2012, TCM has operated several scientific testing campaigns (owner’s campaigns/non-proprietary campaigns). With the experiences from scientific testing campaigns, TCM developed sufficient data and results related to CO₂ capture technologies and amine plant.

In 2017

In 2017, Equinor decided to execute a plan to shut down the combined heat and power plant (CHP) in the coming years. This CHP plant is located adjacent to TCM testing facility and is based on a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) with two gas turbines, each with a waste heat recovery unit. The plant is fuelled by a mixture of natural gas from the Troll offshore gas field and refinery fuel gas.

In 2022

In the third quarter of 2022, Equinor completed the shutdown of the CHP plant and rebuilt one of the gas turbine trains into a new steam boiler, including revamp of the waste heat recovery unit. This plant is now referred to as the Mongstad Heat Plant (MHP). The intention of this steam boiler is to replace the old gas turbine.

As the MHP plant is only fuelled by the refinery gas, one of the main changes is the CO₂ concentration in the flue gas, is 8 – 9 vol% compared to 3.5 – 3.7 vol% in the CHP flue gas.

Enable TCM to test at higher CO₂ concentrations

Due to the design flexibility in the TCM amine plant, it should still be possible to provide low CO₂ testing concentrations simulating CCGT type flue gas by diluting the MHP flue gas with air to around 3.7 vol% CO₂. Moreover, this new flue gas type will enable TCM to test at higher CO₂ concentrations up to 20 vol% CO₂ (with CO₂ product recycling to inlet) to mimic other industry applications such as steel and cement type flue gases.