– My hope is that a strategy will set out the future of CCS investment in Norway, exploring needs and trends and how to respond to these through interaction between centres of knowledge and infrastructure stakeholders, says Alexandra

Familiar with the history of TCM

She is more familiar with the history of TCM than most, having been tasked with overseeing the construction of the world’s largest and most flexible test centre for carbon capture when she headed up the New Energy division at what was then StatoilHydro. Nevertheless, she emphasizes that her commitment to TCM is not based on rose-tinted nostalgia, but on the need for continuous technological development to achieve climate goals.

– Given the targets that have been set for CO₂ capture both in Norway and in other countries, we still have a long way to go to if we’re to realize both large facilities and smaller projects. As an industry, CCS needs to be scaled up, and the cost of each unit of CO₂ captured must come down. If we’re going to succeed, we need further investment in research and development. In that regard, both SINTEF and TCM have key roles to play.

CCS a crucial investment area

Gjørv agrees with the designation of SINTEF and TCM as ‘toolboxes’ for the development of technologies for carbon capture to meet the needs of the society.

– We have been able to work well together, with our researchers working on tasks that have laid the foundations for solutions that have gone on to be tested and validated by our colleagues at Mongstad. In addition to capture technology, SINTEF has spent decades working on solutions for the transport and storage of CO₂, and we are seeing increased commercial interest in this area as well. Overall, CCS constitutes a significant part of SINTEF’s portfolio. We are focusing extensively on research into hydrogen, both as an energy carrier and as an industrial raw material for various industrial stakeholders who must find their practical solutions to achieve net zero or carbon negative solutions.

Having trained as a lawyer, Alexandra Bech Gjørv practised as a partner at Hjort before being appointed CEO of SINTEF in 2016. She became a familiar face to many in Norway for her work as chair of the independent commission tasked by the government to investigate what went wrong before and during the terrorist attacks in the Norwegian Government Quarter in Oslo and on the island of Utøya on 22 July 2011. Prior to this, she spent many years as head of New Energy at Norsk Hydro and later as part of the merged StatoilHydro entity (now known as Equinor), where project responsibility for TCM became one of her main tasks in 2007.

The devil is in the detail

– At Hydro, I had worked on positioning the company commercially for the storage of CO₂, but capture was a new area for me, even though Hydro’s researchers had also worked a lot on this. If I were to characterize the experience of overseeing construction of the technology centre, the words painful and instructive spring to mind. It was a project with very high levels of political visibility which had been initiated based on an unfinished draft of a project plan with cost estimates that turned out to be unrealistic. It required a lot of work and effort both to make a good plan and to create an understanding that the real cost was going to be at a completely different level than had first been envisaged. This experience with TCM has served me well since then. Among other things, I have contributed to the fact that an enormous effort has been put in over many years related to quality assurance of the plans for the Ocean Space Center in Trondheim, says Gjørv. – The devil is often in the detail, she adds.

Kept faith in what was important

– But even though TCM as a project was anything but plain sailing, it also taught me valuable lessons in not losing faith in things that are important. It’s worth noting that other key individuals from that project have gone on to bigger things: Sverre Overå, who managed construction of the facility, is today project director for Northern Lights. The person I dealt with most in government as part of the project, Andreas Eriksen, has gone on to be the Secretary General at Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

Unique facility – relevant expertise

Alexandra Bech Gjørv emphasizes that capturing CO₂ will be vital if we are address climate change.

– At SINTEF, we believe that both those who will deliver proven technology to full scale capture facilities and those who will introduce new technologies will need to make use of the unique facilities TCM offers. We are eager to collaborate with them on this, and also on the development of other climate technologies. Congratulations on your 10th anniversary – and good luck for the future!

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviews with people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years.

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM?

– Before I started at TCM, I had worked for seven years as a Specialist advisor on amine and caustic treating processes to world wide clients, within CO₂ capture, refineries, LNG, GTL and sour gas processing facilities. This included development of scouting and feasibility studies and test run simulations for various plants, and also some trouble shootings. When the opportunity for an engagement at the newly started test center at Mongstad opened up, I thought this both could be very evolving and interesting, and that I had something to contribute. I have never regretted that decision.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– I cannot now remember what happened my first day at Mongstad. But what is strong in my memory was that I was fascinated by the size of the facility. TCM is unique in the world, both in terms of size, flexibility and not least competence. I therefore realized early on that here I was going to thrive. The family had then established themselves in Stavanger, and I commuted three to four days a week to Mongstad. In the first years I lived in an apartment nearby, before I moved to Bergen.

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

– I started my work at TCM just over year after the opening and was like everyone else excited about whether testing of technologies seemed as assumed, that is, whether theory and experiments in laboratories could actually be put into practice. Not least, it was important to measure and to document that the emissions were within the regulations laid down by the Norwegian authorities. The most rewarding and interesting thing was to experience that as a result of collaboration at a high professional level, we succeeded in measuring results and continuously making improvements in operation and performance – to the delight of both the customers and the entire CCS community.

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy?

– What I look back on with the greatest joy is the open test campaigns the owner companies with partners planned and carried out. With these, we had full control of all input factors and preparations. The campaigns resulted in important learning that made it possible to set a baseline for the operation of full-scale capture facilities using the amine technology.

– What do you think of as most challening about your work at TCM?

– My most important experience was the good team spirit that characterized the business. Ability and willingness to discuss and to solve problems across the organization was generally very good. Disagreements could still sometimes arise between departments when it came to priorities, which could be a bit challenging, but no worse than that in the end good and committing solutions were found that everyone could agree on.

– 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?

– I will mention two things; the fact that TCM has and continues to be relevant as an arena for testing technologies for industrial deployment, and the importance TCM has as a provider of knowledge to the CCS community worldwide. The scientific articles TCM has produced and presented have been of great importance for the industry and have made the company an internationally recognized brand.

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

– My hope is that TCM succeeds in strengthening its position as a world-leading center for testing and improving both mature and new technologies. I wish all my colleagues and friends at Mongstad the best for the years to come!

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviews with people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years.

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM?

– After having taken my doctorate in CO₂ capture, in 2012 I was employed by Equinor to work in this field. Just over a year later, the opportunity opened to become Technology Manager at TCM. I had then mostly worked in laboratories, and thought it was incredibly exciting to be able to contribute to the development of capture technology and knowledge in an industrial environment. So I applied, and was the lucky one who got the job.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– For me, the transition was smooth, because I had also participated in the process of building the technology centre. In the spring of 2012, I spent some time at TCM to see and learn, and also got to participate in the ceremony when Jens Stoltenberg opened the facility. My interest in what we could achieve with the technology centre had thus long been very alive. So when I started working in October 2013, I had a very strong and good feeling that I should now be able to work with what I really wanted. The expectations of both my own and the skilled technology colleagues were high.

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

– When I started, there was a lot of skepticism about carbon capture as a concept, both in Norway and internationally. Therefore, we felt a very strong obligation to prove that we could actually help create a new industry that was useful in the climate battle. TCM’s role has been and is to demonstrate that the capture of CO₂ from flue gases is possible, through testing and qualification of various technologies and technology suppliers. However, at that time we moved into an unknown landscape, which was both exciting and at times a little intimidating. What I look back on as most rewarding is that we succeeded in moving boundaries and breaking down barriers in technological development. This is due both to the fact that TCM has the best facilities and personnel in the world that attracted the best technology suppliers and research expertise, but also that we had strong owners who were willing to invest in what we were doing.

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy?

– The fact that we, together with Aker Carbon Capture (now Aker Clean Carbon) and Cansolv Technologies, managed to carry out their test campaigns in 2013 – 2016 with very good results, was of great importance both to Aker, Cansolv and to TCM. Among other things, this laid the foundation for us in Norway now realizing CCS as an industry through the Longship and Northern Lights project – without a doubt very gratifying.

What I remember as special both with this and later test campaigns, was the fantastic team effort that was put in by people from the various units at TCM. Involving people from different cultures and with different backgrounds in processes to achieve common goals can be demanding. But in a relatively small organization like TCM, it is both a virtue of necessity, and it gives enormous power if one succeeds. My best memory is that we gathered employees with different mindsets, approaches and views to professional discussions around the same table and found solutions that in total were very good.

– What do you think of as most challenging about your work at TCM?

– Everyday life at TCM generally went without major frustrations. It was enough to hang our fingers in, and the progress we experienced stimulated constant efforts and improvements. What was a bit tiring was how people in the environment – and especially in the media – related to the business. The use of CO₂ resources on management and CCS was and is still challenging, and it became demanding time and time again to explain that what we were doing was not a waste, but an important measure for the climate.

–  You say you had your dream job at TCM, what made you quit as Technology Manager?

– My departure was solely for a private reason. I commuted between Drammen and Mongstad, and in 2017 our first child was born. I prioritized the dad role over TCM, and have not regretted it.

– 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?

– It is that TCM has been a crucial contributor to the development and realization of the value chain for capture and storage of CO₂ in full scale, both in Norway and globally. Both those who have invested in TCM and those who work there have had faith in it all the way – and everyone can rightly be proud of it.

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

– TCM will exist as a technology centre that is both the most influential in the world and has a unique strength of knowledge, given that it makes the business relevant to new low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen. I hope both the owners and the employees see the potential in expanding the repertoire for climate technology. TCM has all the possibilities.

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviewing people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years.

–  Why did you apply for a job at TCM? 

– I had long been interested in environmental issues and technologies and wanted to work with climate-reducing activities. When TotalEnergies in 2017 had become an owner of TCM, I had also taken further studies in environmental technology. As a result of vacancies in TCM being made available to us at TotalEnergies, I immediately applied for a position that was advertised in the business development department. Bjørn-Erik Haugan, who headed the department, met me for an interview at the airport at Torp. I was very happy when I received the offer. 

– How was your first meeting with TCM? 

– The agreement was that I would commute from Stavanger and stay at Mongstad for the first few weeks. I was well received from day one. One of the things that is unique about TCM is that even though the organizational model with secondees from owner companies involves rotation of the staff, people are cordial and inclusive. I got an introduction to the facilities to familiarize with projects and tasks. Then followed very interesting and educational years with stays both at Mongstad, at Gassnova and around the world. 

– What was your most rewarding and interesting work at TCM? 

– I was lucky to get the opportunity to work with many different technology suppliers who are incredibly dedicated to their projects. The aim was to facilitate possible testing of their technologies at TCM. What gave me most was to experience the great enthusiasm for something larger than us individually. I do not think I will get another job that gives me such a satisfaction. 

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy? 

– TCM’s decision to establish the site for emerging technologies, gave us a great boost. It was very satisfying to contribute to the signing of contracts for testing with suppliers of membranes and sorbents, such as MTR, TDA Research and InnoSepra. In addition, it was always a pleasure to receive visitors at Mongstad, where everyone contributes to the guests having a good experience. 

– What do you think is most challenging about your work at TCM?

– We worked hard to enter the European market. The funding schemes for technology development in the EU were few during the time I worked at TCM. This is in contrast to the United States, which had more structured support schemes to mature the technologies. European test campaigns were made possible in the form of collaboration with various research-based project groups. 

– When you 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? 

– It is the continuous work and dedication to facilitate testing, and to get the best out of the center and every campaign. This effort is the foundation for TCM’s fantastic deliveries. 

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

– There are still many CO₂ capture technologies in the world that are immature, and which undoubtedly have great potential. My wish is that TCM for many more years can contribute to develop the best and most cost-effective technologies for the various industries and applications that will be used to achieve the goal of net zero emissions. 

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate the anniversary by interviewing people who in various ways have had impact on the business during these years.

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM?

– When I had completed my doctorate in chemistry at UiB in 2018, I got a job in the laboratory of DNV in Bergen. One day the boss called out to the room; «Is there anyone here who knows anything about environmental chemistry», and I replied that I knew a little about it. The next day I drove to TCM at Mongstad for a meeting with the Managing Director, HSE Manager, Technical Manager and Operations Manager. I introduced myself and was informed about the tasks as an environmental engineer. The taskes were so interesting that I immediately took the offer I got a few days later.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– From the first day of work, I remember the sight of a big stack of documents lying on my desk waiting to be read. It was many scientific publications, the Pollution Control Act and a lot of regulations. I was introduced to my colleagues in the HSE Department and shown around the facility, and then it was just a matter of getting started. At this time, a test campaign under the auspices of the owner companies and SINTEF had just ended, and the preparations were made for the next campaign for the American Fluor Corporation. The professional issues were many and challenging – and right up there for a «nerd» like me.

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

– With my background, working with emissions and environmental consequences related to CO₂ capture has been very rewarding. Here, TCM has had several good supporters, not least Professor Claus Nielsen at UiO and meteorologist Dag Tønnesen at NILU. We have managed to build up a competence that many have benefitted from, but we are never fully trained or «finished». The interaction between professionals across the organization; in operations, technology, business development, as well as from the laboratory and maintenance, enables us to push boundaries and come up with solutions that strengthen the development of new and more efficient technologies. Our goal is to be a world leader in our field, and that makes everyday life very interesting and exciting. There is always something new to tackle, and it never gets boring.

– Are there projects or events you remember with special joy?

– The test campaign we conducted last year for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering was a preliminary highlight. It was carried out during the pandemic, which was very demanding. We who were responsible for facilitation and implementation never met the customer physically, neither before, during, nor after the campaign ended last autumn. Still, it went incredibly well, and the Japanese are very happy.

The reason why we succeeded with the test campaign, was the ability to adapt both in the team at Mongstad and in Japan. For us, the digital dialogue with the customer started at 07.30 every morning, at the end of their working day. Results from the day before were reported and commented on, and goals for activities in the coming day were set. There were many long evenings during the more than five months the campaign lasted, to manage and follow up deviations along the way. It was very interesting! 

When we finally were able to summarize the process, the feedback from Mitsubishi was that we had used the time very efficiently, which meant that they carried out far more tests than planned.

– What do you think is most challenging about your work at TCM?

– What I think is very interesting about this job is all the people I get to meet during meetings, conferences or when they visit the plant. I like to share  what we are doing at TCM. It is especially interesting to attend events with representatives from other parts of the CCS «congregation» – researchers and others with same prerequisites who ask interesting and demanding questions. The prerequisite is then that we are in the process of preparing documentation for scientific publications, which must be 100 percent quality assured before we can publish the results. Sometimes I get questions about the tests before the result is published. It can be a bit tricky since I can’t give them an answer at that poing, even though I know what the results are. It takes time to document and verify results from the open test campaigns at TCM and give them a form that keep an academically level.

Professional presentations and discussions have suffered during the pandemic. That is why I am looking forward to the upcoming GHGT conference in Lyon in October. It will be incredibly nice to be able to meet old and new acquaintances who are passionate about carbon capture and storage.

– When you tell your friends and acquaintances about the business at TCM, what do you emphasize as the most important utility value?

– The most of my friends probably perceive me as a bit strange, someone who lives and breathes for something very special. But I think I have managed to convey that effective carbon capture technologies are a prerequisite for us to be able to implement the green shift. Testing at TCM contributes to the development of safe CO₂ capture, which does not come at the expense of the local environment where the capture processes take place. I think it is important to emphasize that point.

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

– My hope is that TCM will continue to be at the forefront of technology development. We have come a long way in these ten years, but it is obvious that there will be new and better solutions that must be tested and verified before they can be used industrially. We see this in the large number of inquiries and visits we receive from companies end environments that evaluate test campaigns with us, not leas ton the Site for Emerging Technologies. Whether I will be allowed to work at TCM until I retire may be doubtful, but I envision many good and interesting years ahead.

In my opinion, TCM has been crucial for carbon capture and storage going from being a good idea to a realistic solution and important contribution to the climate battle.

This says Sverre Overå (62). He was Equinor’s project manager for the development and construction of the test center at Mongstad. Since 2016, he has led the construction of Northern Lights, where the first part of the project will be completed and taken in use in two years. Phase two, starting in 2026, is under planning and the third phase is in the pipeline.

– The projects are similar in many aspects, both in that the owners are the same and that there is significant commitment from the Norwegian state. Expectations of results are high, both politically and in the population, and the strong element of innovation makes the work both challenging and interesting. But unlike the establishment of TCM, Northern Lights is very well anchored at the top of everyone who participates. This makes it easier to make decisions and ensure good progress during the project.

Winding road to the goal

It was not straightforward to plan and carry out the construction of TCM. Sverre Overå’s entry into the project was in 2006 based on the job he had in Hydro’s oil department with the responsibility of CO₂ management. The Stoltenberg government had taken the initiative to build a technology center, and Hydro, together with several other companies, was asked to provide an assessment of a project plan Statoil, now Equinor, had prepared – with the completion of the plant in 2009.

Based on the comments that came, a working group was set up on the initiative of Gassnova to revise the project plan. – The funny thing was that on the same day as we had our first meeting with Statoil, 18 December 2006, the StatoilHydro merger was announced by Helge Lund in the meeting room next door. We immediately thought that we could thus work completely in teams and were a little disappointed when we were told that it would be business as usual for another year.

The preparation of a project plan was more demanding than expected. It went almost two years before the project organization with Overå as a leader established itself in Stavanger. It soon proved more practical to work from Oslo, especially because all the contractor companies had their headquarters in the capital. In parallel, work was underway to establish the partnership agreement for TCM between Gassnova, Statoil and Shell, which was formally entered into at the founding meeting on 17 June 2009.

The local community was not prepared

– What was clear when we established the project organization at Mongstad was that the local community was unprepared for what TCM would entail. This applied to Statoil’s established organization at the refinery as well as local authorities and people. Many were surprised at how big the facility would be. In addition to a large parking area and pristine wilderness, we occupied barracks where Statoil’s pensioners’ association was located. Besides, we had to move the well-known Mongstad troll. This was not popular, to say the least, and for a while gave us the feeling of being a foreign element that took a little too much for granted.

However, these were not the only challenges for the project in relation to the surroundings. In both Austrheim and Lindås, there were current concerns that testing technologies for capturing CO₂ would lead to dangerous emissions.

– This fear was a little strange, while they already had lived for many years with operations and emissions from a large refinery in the neighborhood. But it was also indicative of what one often experiences in processes that bring about change. People need time to adjust and get used to the new, says Overå, and adds:

– What I learned in particular and have taken with me from the TCM project is the importance of dealing with all stakeholders in a good manner, spending time listening and explaining to those concerned about conditions in a project they are interested in.

Has given «value for money»

Sverre Overå says that it was not uncomplicated to build the world’s largest test center for CO₂ capture close to a large industrial plant.

– But when we first got started, I think the implementation of the project was good, both in terms of time and finances. That some thought the plant was too expensive is probably mainly due to the fact that the original cost estimates were too low. It is unfortunately the case that uncertain budget figures that are initially communicated for large construction projects tend to become entrenched and become a measure, regardless of what may be unknown cost factors or extra qualities in the project that are decided to be added along the way.

– Then it is also my opinion that the investment in TCM has been worth the money. The technology centre has been crucial for carbon capture and storage going from being a good idea to a realistic solution for achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions – both in Norway and internationally. To test the use and effect of technologies that on the paper have looked good in the format TCM offers, is very important to be able to take the last step to use in full scale. Those who work at TCM with the operation of the facility have all the credit for that.

Arena for the development of new technologies

Sverre Overå believes that the expertise built up at TCM will also be valuable in the years to come.

– The potential for improvements in amine-based technologies is probably limited. Here, TCM has contributed to the development of a market with several good providers of technology that can be used in various industries. But TCM can still play an important role in the development of completely new capture technologies that provide significant reductions in costs and energy use than those currently available. It will be like the leap in the battery industry from production in lead to lithium. TCM has the physical areas and the infrastructure the technology developers need – and not least very skilled professionals in the field.

 

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Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviews with people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years.

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM? 

– The positions in the group that was to plan the facility at Mongstad were advertised in the owner companies, and the team was put together with support from a recruitment agency. I then worked at Gassnova, and was their candidate for the position of Technology Manager. For me, this was by far the most exciting and challenging job in Norway I could think of, and was naturally very happy to be shown this trust. At the same time, I was aware that with the large amounts that were to be used and the prestige that was associated with the project, it was extremely important that we succeeded both technically and commercially. 

 

– How was your first meeting with TCM? 

– It was at Equinor in Sandvika where the project team stayed until the first time. After a few months, we were able to move to a barracks rig at the construction site at Mongstad, and when the administration building was completed, we moved in there. I myself commuted from the family on Nøtterøy, and lived in an apartment in Mastrevik with colleagues as neighbors, not far from Mongstad. We worked from early morning until late at night thorough the weeks and had the feeling of being industrial pioneers. Along the way, we were also given responsibility for designing the emissions application, which has later set a standard for a number of CCS projects. 

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

– Being allowed to build a team that would realize something that had never been done before was incredibly rewarding. It was very important that we got hold of people from Equinor, Shell and Sasol who were not only competent, but also were passionate about the project. I think we succeeded well in that. We were aware that different languages and cultures could be a challenge, but did our best to weld the gang together. Among other things, we cycled Rallarveien together to strengthen the unity and knowledge of each other. 

I would also like to highlight the collaboration with Equinor at Mongstad, and the great people who were given responsibility for the operation of the TCM facility. I also remember the meetings with the technologists who came to test with us as challenging and exciting. 

Then I must mention the many interesting and important meetings we had with politicians and bureaucrats centrally, but also locally. It was important that both in the political environment and in the media, an understanding of and confidence was created in what was to happen at TCM. Especially with the then mayor of Lindås, Astrid Aarhus Byrknes, we had many good and confidential conversations. She was forward-thinking and demanding, but at the same time very supportive. I got a lot of respect for her. 

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy? 

– The greatest moment was when we had come so far that we could state that “now we have control – now we start the plant!”. The road ahead had been demanding and long, so it was of course incredibly satisfying to be able to get started in earnest. 

I also remember the opening on May 7, 2012 with great joy. Even though we had the weather conditions against us, it was a very special day and evening. I was quite central in the planning and implementation of the program, large-scale in every way with many famous guests. But the best thing was that everyone who had a role in the preparations and worked at TCM, got the feeling of participating in something great and important. 

An event I also remember as gratifying was when TCM first presented results from the business at the world’s largest CCS conference in Austin, Texas. My role was to lead the session, and it was skilled colleagues who presented and had to answer difficult questions. They did so with a professional weight and authority that really made an impression on the audience. I, who knew all the thorough work behind it, felt that this academic recognition was well deserved. 

 – What do you think was most challenging about your work at TCM? 

 – Of course, it was also on TCM days that we faced challenges we found difficult. But we still moved on, and built knowledge and experience step by step. We also received very good support from the owner companies when we had problems. So, all in all, I slept well and rarely got frustrated. 

 

– 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? 

– It is that they have managed to build and develop a business that has proven to be important and relevant for the development of technology – not only in Norway, but throughout the world. The proof is that all the major technology developers have come to Mongstad to test, and take the advantage of the strong competence that the employees at TCM possess. The fact that many of these have later been given key positions in other companies also says that TCM is an important arena for development and learning. I would also like to emphasize the great value TCM has for its owners, by continuously keeping up to date on developments in technology and what is happening in the CCS industry. 

 

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

– I think TCM definitely has a role to play in the next ten years, and I sincerely hope that the owners agree. It is incredibly important that the center survives as an arena for testing new and even better technologies, and that the competent staff are used as advisors in planning the implementation of projects with full-scale CO2 capture projects.  

At Statkraft, we are now planning carbon capture with the waste incineration plant at Heimdal in Trondheim, starting in 2030. The assistance we have received from TCM has been of great value and provided security for the quality of the work we now carry out in the project development process. There will be many such projects in the years to come. 

 

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviews with people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years. 

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM?

– I got a phone call from former project leader Sjur Brandtun to take the position as leader for modifications at TCM while I worked on a project for Equinor in the North Sea. It was tempting, and not long after I recieved a proposal for a contract. The motivation for saying yes was that I knew the skills at TCM from the construction period, and knew I got to work in teams with good people. In addition, there was also jubilation at home since this meant that I would get a job within normal working hours. Travel from the farm on Hantveit in Gulen on the north side of Fensfjorden has never been a problem. February 1, 2014, I was ready for duty.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– I remember it was nice to greet old acquaintances in the modification department and those who had started there after the facility was put in operation. They took me on a tour of the plant and explained what had happened in the first two years. Then we sat down and discussed the tasks we had ahead of us. It was a good day for a «half-newcomer».        

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

– At TCM, every activity and test campaigns live their own lives. What has made the job interesting is that we have managed to make the adjustments to the plant that are necessary for every new technology that has been tested. Thus, there will be groundbreaking work every time, and I can honestly say that no one has left here without having been allowed to do what they had planned before they arrived. Sometimes problems arise that are solved ad hoc. We manage to solve them with strong will and good effort, and excellent collaboration with the technology suppliers. That they get to test what they have to within their schedules, and are satisfied with the results, is incredibly satisfying both for me and the entire TCM team.

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy?

– In the first operational period, there were challenges to test with both flue gas sources from the refinery in the amine plant, ie both flue gas with about 3.5 percent and about 20 percent CO₂ content. We thought that installing a new large filter allowing filtration of particles before the gases entered the process would be a good solution, but the professional bodies we sought advice from were sceptical. They thought the filter would clogged up quickly. But despite that, we chose to go for the solution we had in mind. We first did a pilot to see how it went, and it worked well. Then we were happy – and a little proud. The filter we obtained six years ago is still in use today.

– What do you think is most challenging about your work at TCM?

– For me personally, the job at TCM has been a long professional upswing. But for TCM as a company, it is a problem that the funding allocated for each operating period are limited to short periods. This makes it difficult to plan activities far in advance. It also makes it demanding to recruit new people and keep the ones we have. For TCM, it is also a challenge that the plant is no longer new but has been in operation for ten years. When operations are only guaranteed for three years in a row, it will be difficult to get approval for technical upgrades. They are needed for TCM to maintain its position as a world leader in testing CO₂ capture technologies.

 

– When you tell your friends and acquaintances about the business at TCM, what do you emphasize as the most important utility value?

– Then I say that as long as one believes that the changes in nature and the environment are created by man, then we must use everything we have in the toolbox to stop development. Carbon capture and storage is one of these tools. The fact that we in Norway have the world’s largest test centre for technologies and cutting-edge expertise in the field is not only of great value nationally – but for the global climate challenge.

So we in our country throughout all ten years have struggled with the fact that the plan for TCM was to get full-scale purification of CO₂ from the thermal power plant at Mongstad, of which there was none. Exactly that has not taken hold in the same way internationally. The ones I surround myself with know about and understand what we are doing. But I hope the marking of ten years of operation can make it better known among most Norwegians that testing at TCM is a prerequisite for safe capture of CO₂.

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

– Until now, TCM has been a “catch and release” facility. My wish is that in the years to come we can also take CO₂ which are caught and make use of it as an input factor in various industrial productions. Here, with our expertise, we can be a driving force and catalyst to help those who have good ideas. At the same time, testing of new technologies must continue. As in the automobile industry, we work to reduce emissions and present increasingly energy-efficient solutions, and that takes time. TCM has such an absolute future ahead of it!

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Advisory Services established in 2020

For ten years now, TCM stands as a valuable asset for the technology vendors around the world that aimed to verify and demonstrate their technology, including energy consumption and other cost saving claims.

Equally, if not more important is that TCM is also the only amine-based CO₂ capture plant, at such large scale, that operates non-proprietary campaigns and produces unique public knowledge that has been distilled into fundamental understanding of the technology. Centered around this knowledge, TCM launched Advisory Services, in 2020 and since then flagship CO₂ capture projects around the world such as Longship but also individual technology buyers and project owners are coming to TCM to acquire access to key learnings that will enable them to become educated buyers and users of CO₂ capture technology.

Introduction to TCM

TCM is owned by the Norwegian State (managed by Gassnova, 73.9%) together with the industrial partners Equinor (8.7%), Shell (8.7%) and TotalEnergies (8.7%). TCM’s owners are dedicated to make a difference in combating climate change and they do so, among other, by investing throughout the full CCS supply chain as they are also the largest stakeholders in the Northern Lights projects, the storage part of Longship.

TCM has been recognized as an international leading competence center for CO₂ capture that offers:

• Test facilities in industrial conditions, unparalleled in scale and flexibility, matched with a highly qualified workforce, open and neutral for all technology developers and vendors around the world.
• Public access knowledge center that brings together academic and industrial players with the shared purpose of improving the feasibility and deployment of the CO₂ capture technologies.
• Advisory Services that turn the vast amount of knowledge and experience accumulated from non-proprietary campaigns into comprehensive learnings for industrial applications, priceless to all technology buyers and users.

More than NOK 6 billion have been invested in construction and development of TCMs test facilities at Mongstad. The site consists of an amine plant, an ammonia plant, and a site for emerging capture technologies. All three have access to two industrial flue gas sources from Equinor’s refinery and gas fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at Mongstad. The CO₂ content of the two industrial streams allows TCM to test CO₂ capture both at its thermodynamic limits with the low CO₂ concentration of CHP stream, and at the complex chemistry conditions that the refinery stream is creating in the process. The existing capability to recycle and dilute enable us to also imitate emission gases of other industries such as waste incineration.

TCM operates under an emission permit from Norwegian regulators, ensuring safe and verifiable results in every aspect of operation. TCM together with the Norwegian authorities underwent a long journey, started before its operations in 2012, to develop the emission permit process for an amine-based CO₂ capture plant. This process is strictly followed for every new campaign at TCM. Moreover, the learnings and approach taken on emission permitting may be employed for most full-scale industrial capture projects.

The key players

Since TCM started operations in 2012, most of the key players in the CO₂ capture market have tested, derisked and demonstrated industrial scale technologies at its facilities. As it is shown in Figure 1, Alstom, Shell Cansolv, Aker Solutions, CCS Limited, ION Engineering, Fluor Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have all conducted thorough testing of their proprietary solvents at TCM’s Amine and Chilled Ammonia plants. TCM has given full priority in supporting the technology developers and vendor companies during the 28,000 hours of total proprietary testing in almost ten years.

In 2021, TCM started operations of its Site for Emerging Technologies which is designed for smaller scale testing of lower Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies when compared to the TCM amine facilities. MTR and TDA were the first to complete the demonstration of their technologies at this site. Three more projects are planned to test their technology until the end of 2023, when the current operational agreement of the TCM JV is to be renewed. More information on TCM’s Site for Emerging Technologies.

Open scientific campaigns

Since 2013, TCM owners funded, together with EU and US DoE, numerous open scientific campaigns, with non-proprietary solvents (Figure 2). These campaigns were conducted in partnership with recognized universities and research organizations around the world addressing typical technical pitfalls observed in CCS projects such as:

• Chosen technology does not match flue gas characterization resulting in degradation and emission permit issues.
• Actual operating environment often not tested.
• Lack of validated simulation and analytical models and prediction tools.

Based on more than 20,000 hours of non-proprietary testing TCM has accumulated world-leading know-how on mitigating the above risks as well as other risks related to operations such as:

• Forced use of Oil & Gas industry standards which results in high costs.
• Risks and failure modes of key equipment have not been systematically identified.
• Long term effects of corrosion and fouling of the plant on capture performance and energy consumption.

TCM has demonstrated reduction in cost

A series of testing campaigns that was carried out by TCM and its owners in the amine capture plant aimed to study various cost saving operating options relevant for combined cycle gas turbine plants. This was one of the first times that such a structured campaign was executed at a scale that can provide relevant basis for scale up and industrial design. The results, as illustrated in Figure 3, showed encouraging cost reduction potential for energy consumption and capital cost of the amine plant. Detailed descriptions of the test campaign and analysis of the results are available here.

TCM’s Advisory Services are facilitating the “translation”

TCM “translate” all the aforementioned knowledge from the TCM scale to the industrial projects. Reports summarizing key learnings, tailor-made advisory projects and workshops are some of the ways that are serving as the vehicle that transfers knowledge. Some examples of how TCM’s experts are providing valuable contribution to the different phases and milestones of the CO₂ capture projects are listed below:

Examples of Advisory Services Standard Offerings

Generic CO₂ Capture prosess

• Key lessons from TCM on solvent and waste handling.
• Key lessons from TCM maintenance.
• Key lessons from TCM start-up and shutdown.
• Key lessons from TCM operation on thermal reclaimer.
• Summary of TCM learnings on foaming.
• Key lessons from TCM process control.

CO₂ Capture plant design

• General philosophy for CO₂ capture plant design.
• Guidelines and recommendations for absorber design.
• Guidelines and recommendations for regenerator design.
• Guidelines and recommendations for thermal reclaimer design.
• Guidelines and recommendations for water wash systems design.
• Guidelines and recommendations for heat exchangers design.

Operational Academy

• Key lessons from TCM on solvent and waste handling.
• Key lessons from TCM maintenance.
• Key lessons from TCM start-up and shutdown.
• Key lessons from TCM operation on thermal reclaimer.
• Summary of TCM learnings on foaming.
• Key lessons from TCM process control.

Examples of tailor-made Advisory Services Projects

• Smart review of pre-feasibility and feasibility study.
• Review of design basis.
• Develop preliminary process simulation and sensitivity analysis, based on non-proprietary solvents, for bench-marking purposes.
• Develop preliminary design of key equipment, based on the above model, for bench-marking purposes.
• Support in piloting phase (advice on test plan, on lab procedures and test results review).
• Support in technical & HSE related risk identification.
• Participate & support in HAZOP studies.
• Support in specific questions on maintenance, spares etc.
• Operator training.
• Support in commissioning and start-up.
• Support in troubleshooting (emissions, thermal performance, solvent degradation & reclaiming etc.).
• Other

TCM’s Advisory Services were launched in 2020 and despite the challenges of the pandemic, managed to develop an impressive portfolio of projects as it is illustrated on Figure 4 below.

Supporting Longship

Support of “Longship” which is the biggest climate project ever, undertaken by Norwegian industry has been one of the main focus areas of our team. TCM delivered Advisory Services to both main capture projects of “Longship”. Contributed with its expertise in early studies of Hafslund Oslo Celsio`s  planned Waste to Energy plant, a full-scale project at Klemetsrud in Oslo, and by participating to HAZOP assessment of the capture project of Heidelberg Materials Brevik cement factory of Heidelberg Cement. We also offered our services to Statkraft, Kvitebjørn Varme and Hoegh LNG, in important Norwegian CCS projects. More information on CCS Norway and “Longship” 

TCM also provided advisory services to OGCI (Oil and Gas Climate Initiative), the USD $1 billion climate fund founded by the world’s largest energy companies. Some examples of other projects that have requested TCM’s support in interesting studies are Net Zero Teesside, Phillips 66 and SSE Thermal, all leading projects in UK CCS arena.

At the moment, TCM and the Advisory Services team are supporting more projects in Europe and Norway and are excited with the positive shift that is happening around the world in political, social and industrial level. CCS is now recognized as one of the ways to fight against climate change and TCM will be in the forefront of that fight!

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has a 10-year anniversary in 2022. We celebrate ourselves with interviews with people who in various ways have had impact on the business in these years.

–  Why did you apply for a position at TCM?

– I started my work with CO₂ capture in Equinor in 2008, as an assistant project manager for the planned full-scale plant at Mongstad. After four years of commuting to Stavanger, I had six months’ leave. Then the position as operation manager at TCM appeared, which for me was a perfect opportunity to continue working with CO₂ capture which I was very interested in. The interview took place in Equinor, and I also had a good conversation with Tore Amundsen, who then was Managing Director of TCM. I was very happy to get the job as Operation Manager.

– How was your first meeting with TCM?

– With my background from working on the full-scale project, I knew quite a bit what I was going into. I still felt a certain excitement when I entered the administration building in December 2012. I was well received, in my office there were flowers as a nice welcome. The amine plant had been operational for some time. The CAP plant was in operation, but was stopped at the end of the month and prepared for modifications prior to a new start-up a few months later. It was more than enough to work with and dig into; innovation with new and untested technology was demanding. But I had very good support from many skilled and committed colleagues.

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

– The most important for me was to be involved in the implementation of projects with a global perspective. Succeeding in carbon capture is important for the whole world. For both me and my colleagues at TCM, it has been incredibly rewarding to work with so many good and dedicated people from the technology providers and in the research environments, and to experience that our efforts for the CCS community are appreciated and make a difference. Being able to document that CO₂ capture is both safe and feasible is very important. I think it has been interesting to register through the many visits to TCM, that so many people from different countries, universities and research organizations are interested in what is happening at TCM. It gives hope for the future.

– Are there projects or events you remember back with special joy?

– I especially remember when the owner companies in 2017 decided to extend the operating period for TCM. One owner decided to leave and a new one came in, and the agreement was signed at Mongstad with all employees present. It was a moment of celebration and recognition for the work we had done in the previous five years.

Another memorable event was when representatives of NETL, which coordinates the US authorities’ activities for carbon capture, at «Milestone Mongstad» gave Norway and TCM their unreserved recognition. Normally, technologically strong USA would have built such a test facility themselves, but the cooperation with us has made it unnecessary.

I would also like to emphasize the commitment that has characterized the business. TCM has a small and vulnerable organization, which has nevertheless mastered solving the many challenges along the way. The good feedback from the customers has rightly made us proud.

Finally, I think it is gratifying that TCM’s strong focus and expertise on HSE and emissions issues, has created safety and support for the activities in the local community. The fact that we have avoided creating local problems in the work to solve a global challenge, has been and is very important. TCM has put HSE and emissions issues on the agenda in the global CCS community. TCM is among the foremost in the world in emissions measurements and instrumentation for documenting emissions from CO₂ capture. In this area, TCM has built a strong and professional environment.

– What do you think was most challenging about your work at TCM?

– What I am thinking of in this connection is that TCM has not received the same recognition in Norway as in the world. We had deserved better!

Personally, I also think back on a special event in advance of a test campaign as a bit challenging. An operational problem was discovered and was not responded to quickly enough. I learned that we must ensure adequate dialogue and information from the technology provider at an early stage so that we are well prepared and can take our precautions. But we sorted out the problem and got control of the situation.

– When you tell your friends and acquaintances about the business at TCM, what do you emphasize as the most important utility value?

– For me, it is important that in a conversation I can look my neighbor in the eye and say that what I am doing is safe. My experience is that a humble approach is best, namely, to admit that technology development takes time, and that safe capture of CO₂ is a demanding job. Therefore, TCM is necessary to test and verify that technologies actually work, which in turn will contribute to solving the climate problems. In addition, I also think it is important to emphasize that working with carbon capture is both meaningful and enjoyable.

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

– For me, who for several years has followed the development of capture and storage of CO₂ closely, it is enormously satisfying that full-scale facilities are now being built both in Norway and around the world. It would not have happened without TCM. My hope is that TCM will continue to be an important part of this value chain, both through testing of new technologies and advice project developer and operators who will build and operate large facilities. A stronger collaboration between the Longship project and TCM will strengthen the expertise Norway has built for the entire CO₂ value chain, which can be shared with the world.

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