22.06.2022
He was our first Technology Manager
Olav Falk-Pedersen was a key person during the years before and after start-up of the plant as Technology Manager and Business Development Manager.
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.
– 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.
Team-building was important in the establishment of the world’s largest test center for CO2 capture. Here from a trip on Rallarveien in August 2011.
– 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.
Name: Olav Falk-Pedersen
Age: 59
Education: Master of Science in mechanical engineering and production from NTNU, Trondheim
Marital status: Married, three children and five grandchildren
Affiliation with TCM: Technology Manager 2010 – 2013, Business Development Manager 2013 – 2014, seconded from Gassnova
Present position: Senior project developer at Statkraft
– When you tell your friends and acquaintances about the business at TCM, what do you emphasize as the most important utility value?
– Outside the CCS «congregation», it was for a long time a little demanding to explain why TCM had its justification even if the planned «moon landing» had to canceled. But when we in Norway now see that «Longship» is realized, with CO2 capture first at Heidelberg Materials in Brevik and then hopefully also at Hafslund Oslo Celsio, it is easy to explain that it would probably not have happened without testing of technologies and knowledge gained at TCM. The business at the world’s largest test center gives sellers and buyers of technology the certainty they need that «the map matches the terrain». This also applies to the authorities when they are to prepare their decision basis.
It was this that made the job at TCM so incredibly fun and interesting, because we saw that we had planned for worked in practice. TCM gives those who want the opportunity to conduct tests with an extreme degree of accuracy.