World's Largest CO2 Capture Plant Reports Findings

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The rollout of demonstration scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) plants across Europe has taken a step closer following the first year report from the world's largest CO2 test facility in Mongstad, Norway.

A year after the plant was inaugurated CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has revealed its first operational achievements which it claimed will go a long way to de-risking CCS investments. TCM is the only industrial-scale test centre for gas fired emissions globally, which it claimed "gives it a unique relevance in the context of the current global dash for gas".

The first goal of TCM's initial operations was to test solvents used to absorb CO2 from fossil fuel exhaust gases. Two technology demonstrations were run at the CCS plant, which provides access to 100,000 tons per year of simulated coal, oil and gas-fired CO2 flue gases. These come from a gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) and a refinery. TCM is currently testing Aker Solutions amine technology in the amine plant and Alstom Chilled Ammonia technology the ammonia plant.

TCM, located northwest of the city of Bergen, was commissioned last year. The projects will capture and scrub 80,000 tonnes of the gas from the Mongstad oil refinery and another 20,000 tonnes of emissions from the 280-megawatt (MW) CHP plant located on the site. For additional information, see May 10, 2012, article - Norway Opens Leading Carbon Capture Facility.

Frank Ellingsen, Managing Director, CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad, said: "The last year has brought new levels of certainty to expected capital expenditure and ongoing costs of CCS by establishing the viability of capture processes. These advancements have reduced the knowledge gap of CCS technological development. It's very exciting to see that off the back of these achievements, world-leading technologists are lining up to take advantage of the ongoing programme."

Aker has been pleased with the results for the first year of large-scale testing.

Henning Østvig, Senior Vice President in Aker Solutions, explained: "Our Advanced Carbon Capture Technology is being demonstrated every day at industrial scale with a high plant uptime and at a capture rate of the predefined 85-90%. Results from emission monitoring campaigns at TCM has shown excellent results, which was one of the most important issues to be demonstrated before scaling up the technology to full-scale carbon capture at Mongstad."

In addition to testing technologies, rigorous air sampling undertaken during plant operations has made a major contribution to CCS by gaining real life results from industrial testing related to the formation, degradation and dispersion of amine solvents. This has led to the publication of three scientific reports which TCM said "for the first time have independently recommended the viability of safe amine carbon capture".

From 2014, the next round of testing of other absorption solvents will begin at TCM's amine plant. Aker Solutions, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Siemens have all registered their interest. TCM said negotiations are currently underway to finalise the next users.

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