“Satisfied customers are crucial for TCM. The most important proof that we provide a functional and reliable facility is that companies return to Mongstad to test their capture technologies. Safe operation is our ‘modus operandi’,” says Odd Arne Hvidsten.
Safe operation since 2010
He has been Operations Engineer at TCM since 2010 and is the most experienced member of the organization when it comes to planning and executing operations at the three test facilities. “In my role, I am responsible for the integrity of the facility, which means that both test campaigns and regular modifications are carried out within safe and appropriate parameters for the tasks at hand. This is the ‘modus operandi’ for all 30 people in our operations organization,” Hvidsten emphasizes.
Equinor is responsible for operating TCM’s test facilities. After graduating from technical college, Odd Arne Hvidsten started as an apprentice at the refinery in 1992 and progressed over the years to become an operations engineer. By 2010, construction of the TCM plant was well underway. Attracted by the opportunity for new challenges, he applied for a similar position at the new neighbor in Mongstad.
Motivated to take new initiatives
“I was hired as the third member of the operations department, after the operations manager and his deputy. At that time, the focus was on building an organization that would oversee the operation of a full-scale CO2 capture plant. As you know, that didn’t happen, but I still found motivation in continuing to work on the operation of two different pilot plants, namely CAP (chilled ammonia) and the amine plant. What drove me was to contribute to solving technically complex problems for which there were no clear answers. Running carbon capture plants at near full scale was pioneering work in the truest sense of the word.
Progress after a difficult start
Coming from a well-established culture of operations and safety at the refinery, it was almost inevitable that discussions with the technical experts at TCM would at times be intense. In addition, for a period after opening in 2012, TCM struggled to fully utilize its testing capacity, which did nothing to improve the working environment. “At the time, I don’t think many people could have imagined that TCM would still be operating in 2023, but we managed to do it,” says Hvidsten.
As time went on, the market for running own test campaigns at the amine plant opened, while the owner companies and collaborators invested in open campaigns to advance the development of CO2 capture technology. The knowledge and experience gained from running these campaigns led to fewer teething problems, smoother execution, and much improved collaboration across the TCM.
“Overall, the number of undesirable incidents related to the operation of the plant has been very low, thanks to a strong safety culture and a highly committed workforce. The facility is manned 24/7, with a total of 18 operators working shifts throughout the year, in addition to laboratory technicians, maintenance personnel and departmental management. Our primary responsibility is to ensure that customers receive their allocated supplies of electricity, gas, air, and steam, and to be ‘hands on’ when things don’t go as planned. It’s rarely boring in Operations,” he says with a smile.
Upswing with the 3rd site
Odd Arne Hvidsten emphasizes that the decision to expand TCM’s offering with the ‘Site for Emerging Technologies’, also known as the 3rd Site, has been crucial to the positive development of the Technology Centre.
“The fact that, in recent years, we have also become a testing ground for new technologies that are less mature than the well-established amine technology makes TCM relevant in a whole new market. This expansion has also contributed to smoother operations, which was important from the owners’ perspective.
The test campaigns at the 3rd site have a different rhythm and dynamics compared to those at the amine plant.
“For us in operations, this has been an adjustment, but we enjoy the challenges. We find that our expertise from operating the amine plant also comes in handy when a customer is stuck with questions about, for example, the right temperature or pressure in their processes. The feedback we receive on the support we provide shows that the lasting impression for customers is the high level of professionalism in the operation of the TCM. In addition, the advice that our technical expertise can provide, for example on the design of equipment that needs to be tested, is valuable. This is crucial for tomorrows’ technology providers as they consider where in the world, they can have their technologies tested and verified to ensure that they work in real-world environments, not just in the laboratory”.
Friends for life
As an operations engineer, Odd Arne Hvidsten’s office is close to the large control room in TCM’s administration building. This gives him a good overview of how the plant is running, and he can be called in if anything unexpected happens. He makes daily rounds of the site to check on the status. And if the opportunity arises, he is always ready to have a chat with customers who are working on their projects in Mongstad.
“For someone who likes to meet people from all over the world, TCM is a paradise. Not only do we have a multinational workforce, but you also meet many interesting people who are here for a while to test their ideas and technologies. I have made friends among them who have lived near me, and later visited them in their home countries during holidays with my family. This ‘bonus’ is something I probably wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t worked here,” says the TCM veteran.
Name: Odd Arne Hvidsten
Age: 56
Education: Electro engineer
Marital status: Married, four children
Employment at TCM: Operations engineer since 2010, seconded from Equinor