TCM to continue under the same ownership

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) is the world’s largest and most flexible test centre for CO₂ capture technology verification and leading centre of expertise in the field. Since its inception in 2012, TCM has conducted 23 testing campaigns of different capture technologies at its facilities and has played a key role in the development and commercialization of technologies to enable carbon capture and storage worldwide. The capture technology that will be used in the Norwegian Longship project was tested at TCM.

– Longship would not have been possible without the technology development that took place at the Technology Centre. We are proud of TCM’s important contribution to developing CCS as a key climate technology over the last eleven years, which is now set to continue with increased industry involvement. The centre is attracting a lot of international attention. Major companies are coming to Norway to test their technology, which is important for the spread of CCS technology around the world,” says Terje Aasland, Minister of Petroleum and Energy.

Under the agreement, the shareholding of each of the industrial owners will increase from 8.7 per cent to 22.0 per cent, while the state’s shareholding will be reduced from 73.9 per cent to 34.0 per cent. The owners have also agreed on a plan to develop TCM’s future business model.

Employee enthusiasm

“We are very pleased that our owners have created a framework that allows us to continue our important work. To contribute to the development of technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industry,” says Managing Director Muhammad Ismail Shah. We are ready to build on our successful technology centre here at Mongstad.

The Norwegian state is satisfied

Chairman of the Board Svein Ingar Semb, who represents Gassnova, is very pleased with the agreement: “It was natural for the state to reduce its involvement in TCM as the conditions for commercial operation are within reach. The industry is showing increasing interest in developing TCM further, and we will now start to develop TCM after 2026.”

Strategic importance

Equinor has been a co-owner of TCM from the start and is also responsible for operating the test facilities. Board member Bjørn Sundland, project manager for low-carbon solutions at Equinor, says that the ownership is of strategic importance for competence development and for Equinor’s low-carbon commitment: “The collaboration with TCM also offers opportunities for technology development that are valuable for our CO₂ transport and storage projects. As an operator, Equinor has also gained unique experience and expertise in operating such a CO₂ capture facility.

Benefiting from leading-edge expertise

Like Equinor, Shell has been a co-owner of TCM since the initial agreement was signed in 2009. “Over the years, many of our employees have worked at Technology Centre Mongstad and have acquired cutting-edge skills in carbon capture. We are actively using this expertise in projects that complements our target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050,” says Board member Nina Thowsen, Asset Manager at Norske Shell. “Momentum for carbon capture utilisation and storage continues to grow stronger, which provides TCM with the opportunity to further strengthen its position and commercial value proposition.”

Catalyst for industrial capture

TotalEnergies has been co-owner of TCM since 2017. Board member Anne Brisset, who heads TotalEnergies’ research centre in Stavanger, says that TCM has been a catalyst for the development of CO₂ capture plants since its inception. “Such a structure, combining large-scale process with research and development, has been a prerequisite for creating commercial companies that will help industry achieve its decarbonisation goals. Our goal is for TCM to continue to be a neutral test bed for suppliers to mature their technologies with a new business model,” says Anne Brisset.