Ragnhild Rønneberg – established “ACT”

One of the two joint winners is Ragnhild Rønneberg, who is responsible for the founding of the “ACT” international partnership, which she achieved with tremendous enthusiasm and commitment. She has transformed it into a platform where researchers from a number of countries can work together to solve challenges related to the capture, transport and storage of CO₂.

Thanks to her courage and diplomacy, Ragnhild has ensured that ACT is not only a collection of international projects, but also functions as a platform for knowledge sharing and solid R&D cooperation across national borders.

Ragnhild has been employed by the Research Council of Norway for the past 22 years and retired on 1 February this year. She now plans to devote her time to voluntary work, including with the Red Cross. Given Ragnhild’s passion for CCS, we could not ignore the fact that we were meeting her once again at such an exciting forum for CO₂ management.

Eva Halland – for her great involvement in CO₂ storage

The other of the two joint winners is Eva Halland, who has held a number of roles with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (OD) and has served on its management team for more than 17 years. Eva has retired, but now runs her own firm – CarbonGeo Consulting – so many of us can expect to bump into Eva in future in a number of CCS settings.

Eva has been a CCS guru who has been widely recognised both domestically in Norway and internationally. She is Deputy Chair of CLIMIT, a NORSAR board member, and a project manager for CCUS Norway.

She is a trained geologist, having graduated from the University of Bergen.

ACT stands for “Accelerating CCS technologies” and is a platform where industry stakeholders from across a number of countries issue joint calls to tender. 39 projects have been supported since its inception in 2016, receiving EUR 108 million in public support. You can read more about ACT’s impact here.

Sharing CCS knowledge

70 experts from across the industry spoke at the event ably moderated Kristin Halvorsen, Director of CICERO. In addition to programmed lectures, there were also well-received “speed dating” sessions during which stakeholders from different CCS backgrounds were given five minutes each to present their current work.

Over 400 people followed the streaming these two days and more than 500 have seen the footage afterwards.

“We must continue to support technological development, testing and pilot projects, as it will lead to cost reductions and pave the way for commercially attractive CCS projects at a later date,” said Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy.

Research and industry must work together

“CCS is vital to reducing CO₂ emissions and ensuring a successful energy transition, but the current pace is too slow. The solution is to unite industrial stakeholders and researchers working across the entire CCS value chain behind a common goal,” said Rikard Kinn, a Project Manager with Aker Solutions.

“Large-scale deployment of CCS depends on comprehensive R&D. The CLIMIT programme will play a key role in this,” said Rune Volla of the Research Council of Norway.

Results from CLIMIT projects presented

Various CLIMIT projects were showcased under three different themes: “capture”, “transport and value chain” and “storage”. These included:

• Capture
  “This is the first test of CO₂-capture in the ferroalloy industry as well as capture from two different sources simultaneously. That has never been done before and we are excited to see the final testing results in around six months’ time,” said Jan Gabor from Mo Industrial Park during the conference.
• Transport and value chain
  “We have three elements we are looking into: 1) The prediction of CO₂ flow behaviours in pipes. 2) Advancing state-of-the-art measurement technologies. 3) Documenting lessons learned and advances in design, monitoring and control of networks for CCS,” said Yessica Arellano from Macon CCS and SINTEF.
• Storage
  “When upscaling, we can’t just look at technology – we also need to look at regulatory and policy demands, as well as the broader picture for society as a whole. What are they expecting from this process?” said Guttorm Alendal, coordinator for the ACTOM project.</p>

Longship status update

The event also featured a status update from the Longship project, including the screening of three brief videos which are available to watch here:

“Project Longship will generate important and tangible knowledge that can be applied in future projects in the cement and waste-to-energy sector. The support agreements in place with the Norwegian government ensure that this transfer of knowledge actually happens,” said Roy Vardheim, CEO of Gassnova.

Inaugural CLIMIT Award

The CLIMIT Award is given to champions of CCS who have helped to achieve CLIMIT’s objectives over the years. The prize was awarded for the first time at CLIMIT SUMMIT 2023, which took place in Larvik 7–9 February. On this occasion, the prize was shared by two worthy winners: Ragnhild Rønneberg and Eva Halland.

Thank you for your participation!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Larvik and to those of you who took part virtually!

The conference was organised by Gassnova in partnership with the Research Council of Norway.

8 February

• Side event Mission Innovation – Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) (.pdf)
  
  

• Keynotes part 1(.pdf)

• CCS Speed Dating

  • Capture (.pdf)

  • Transport & Value Chain (.pdf)

  • Storage (.pdf)

• Keynotes, part 2 (.pdf)

9 February

• Keynotes

• Technical sessions

  • Capture & Business Models (.pdf)

  • Transport & Value Chain (.pdf)

  • Storage (.pdf)

• Longship Sails on (.pdf)

Six side events are also being organised in connection with the summit to demonstrate the wide-ranging interest and variety in the CCS field.

We are looking forward to getting under way and presenting lots of exciting results from CLIMIT’s project portfolio, as well as hearing from the rest of the CCS world and rounding it all off with an update from Longship stakeholders.

Streaming the main programme

The CLIMIT secretariat are delighted to announce that the main sessions in the programme will be streamed so that even more people will have the chance to follow this year’s summit. 

#CLIMITSUMMIT2023

We hope you will be active on social media and sharing details of this event. We are using the hashtag #CLIMITSUMMIT2023.

After the event, we will also be sharing presentations and recordings.

Link to programme – speakers and participants

 

“The work of the Programme Board is very rewarding. First, it gives first-hand knowledge about an exciting research field, nationally and globally that is important for reaching ambitious climate goals. Second, it is a privilege to be able to influence strategic choices for research and technology development and thereby impact Norway’s and other countries’ realization of carbon capture and storage goals. Third, but not least, the fact that the discussions we have around the table include perspectives and insights from different disciplines, professions, and sectors is both very fruitful and necessary for the realization of CCS and the breadth of the CLIMT Program Plan.

Member of the Programme Board of CLIMIT

Marianne Ryghaug (51) has a PhD in Political Science and is a Professor of Science and Technology Studies at NTNU. She leads the Centre for Energy, Climate and Environment (STS) at the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture at NTNU. Ryghaug was Co-Director of Centre for Sustable Ebnergy Studies (FME CenSES), a national centre for environmentally friendly energy research from 2009-2019. Her areas of expertise include energy and climate policy, sustainability transitions and innovation policy, and studies of users, practices and public engagement.

How do you encounter CCS in your day-to-day work?

As a researcher, I directly encounter CCS-related issues in many of the projects I work on. An example: I do research on how to accelerate energy transitions in ports and sectors related to ports. Here, the development of CCS and transportation is relevant. In many projects where the aim is to create more sustainable transitions and value chains, CCS is an important solution to achieve CO₂ reductions or zero emissions goals, as CCS is one of many climate solutions necessary for achieving the enormous cuts in emissions that our planet needs.     

What do you think is CLIMIT’s most important contribution to the green transformation?

Focusing the program on carbon capture research and technology development related to emissions from ‘hard to abate’ sectors, typically cement and chemical production, has been a good priority. In general, the relatively good framework conditions for research in this field have  given Norwegian technology communities an advantage internationally, providing them with significant market opportunities and forming the basis for strong climate initiatives both in Norway and around the world. The challenge now is to facilitate research at a higher TRL level, by which I mean create even more mature technologies, and thereby help to accelerate CCS activities across many different industries.   

What should CLIMIT prioritize in terms of technology development in the future – where are the gaps?

I am not a technologist, so from my perspective, the attention should not only be on improving carbon capture and storage technologies. One must focus on the entire CCS value chain and the need to realize CCS projects at the scale required to achieve significant emissions reductions locally, nationally, and globally. This depends on building infrastructure, legislation, and acceptance for CCS among those being impacted in different ways. The CLIMIT programme should therefore also support research that gives crucial in-depth knowledge on relevant societal issues pertaining to CCS.

What needs do you see for the CLIMIT programme over the next five years?

The CLIMIT programme is justified by its contribution to research that develops and accelerates strong CCS projects. The number of applications is increasing, and the quality is generally very good. There is no doubt as to whether we need CLIMIT: it is the provision of sufficient resources that determines whether its aims can be met. In this context, I think it is important to highlight that shortage of competence may be an obstacle to building a large and vibrant CCS industry if not properly supported. Thus, the government should continue providing resources for research and development in this field. CLIMIT should also be able to act as a facilitator for idea development and expertise building – creating arenas for dialogue between researchers and industry across various projects. This will push CCS and the world forward!” 

Development must take place close to the experiences gained from these projects, and this must be reflected in CLIMIT’s efforts.”

Kaare Helle has been a member of the CLIMIT Programme Board since 2018. “I’ve been working on CCS for many years at DNV and through this I was able to use the knowledge I had acquired while also satisfying my curiosity in technology that can be used to manage CO₂. I have to admit that I don’t always understand all of the content and details of project applications we receive, and in those situations it’s great that I can rely on my experienced and highly skilled colleagues around the table. Over time, the CLIMIT programme has shown itself to be a vital tool for creating technology and solutions that are now being adopted in order to realise ambitious climate goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions from industries,” says Helle.

How do you encounter CCS in your day-to-day work?

“In the 17 years I’ve worked at DNV, CCS has been my most important area of work, and I’ve been involved in creating an organisation that provides industry with advice on quality assurance and safety procedures for projects. Just over two years ago I was challenged with leading a newly established investment unit for start-ups, and we are now around half-way towards our goal of having a 20-company strong portfolio. Decarbonisation is also part of our mandate, but my primary focus now is on the work for the board and coaching to help small companies with interesting technologies to succeed in creating a business out of these. I also still get asked for advice about issues related to carbon capture and storage, which has become an important business area for DNV over the last few years.

What do you think is CLIMIT’s most important contribution to the green transformation?

“If we look back, CCS was, internationally speaking, struggling between 2013 and 2019, and it was just us in Norway who ‘kept the faith’, in no small part due to CLIMIT’s research support. This has helped put Norwegian businesses in a really strong position as technology and service providers for projects aimed at realising capture and storage at full-scale, both at home and abroad. The most important contribution going forward will be to support research into cost-effective climate initiatives that will create an industry that is viable without enormous state intervention in the long term.”

“We need to remember in this context that at a global level there’s still a long way to go in reaching the 20 percent share of total emissions reductions the IPCC and the IEA have assumed can be achieved through carbon capture and storage by 2050. At DNV, we have calculated that planned and currently ongoing projects will only lead to a 4 percent reduction. That said, we believe there will be a significant up-scaling of CCS in the next five years.”

Member of the Programme Board of CLIMIT

Kaare Helle (46) has an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from NTNU and works as the Venture Director at Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is responsible for corporate venture activities. He began at DNV in 2005 and has held many managerial positions, primarily within energy technology and innovation. Between 2015 and 2020, he led the build-up of DNV’s CCS activities. Before he began at DNV, he worked as a consultant at Norsk Sikkerhetsrevisjon.

What should CLIMIT prioritise in terms of technology development in the future – where are the gaps?

“I don’t believe that we can just put skilled researchers into a locked room and ask them to create technologies for a fraction of the cost for a full-scale plant that needs to be built. Development must take place close to the experiences gained from these projects, and this must be reflected in CLIMIT’s efforts.” Carbon capture is the biggest driver of costs and this means that the hunt for the next generation of capture technology must be a top priority.” 

What needs do you see for the CLIMIT programme over the next five years?

“As far as I can tell, CLIMIT has struggled due to a relatively low flow of applications. In the wake of the Longship project, so much will depend on us increasing the number of technology developers that have strong, high-quality ideas for innovation and creativity in CCS. We must improve awareness of the CLIMIT programme to draw in a greater number of applications so that we can reject applications that don’t live up to our goals.”

“So as a general reflection, I would add that perhaps the most important thing now is that the apparatus for CCS investments is given mechanisms that will allow for more large projects to be funded in Norway. As long as there is an imbalance between the costs to industry of emitting CO₂ and implementing measures that will limit emissions, the state will have to make up the difference. So, our longer-term goal should be to develop technology that makes CCS profitable for businesses. 

Hanne Lerche Raadal became a member of the CLIMIT Programme Board in 2019. “The work is interesting because we get fantastic insight into all the research and development going on related to carbon management, and as Board members we set out guidelines for future research efforts through proposals for revisions to the programme plan. As someone who works a lot on developing research projects, it’s also been interesting to get an insight into the organisation of and division of work between CLIMIT, Gassnova and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in this field.”

How do you encounter CCS in your day-to-day work?

“More and more frequently! At NORSUS, we are developing knowledge and methods for sustainability in society by working with companies and the public sector in order to reduce their impact on the environment. For my part, I’ve done a lot of work on environmental documentation and optimisation of products and processes in the areas of energy and waste treatment, particularly wind energy, hydropower, biogas, and waste incineration plants. Our environmental and sustainability assessments are based on life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, which also is relevant for CCS and CCUS value chain. For example, it can be used to find out for what conditions possible net gains of removing CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, which is a technology that is still in its early stages, might be achieved. We need thorough analyses of the value chains for the new systems we want to create. These analyses need to include energy consumption and other important factors related to different environmental impacts so that we can see the entire environmental impact of the systems we are comparing, which is important for future decision processes.”

Member of the Programme Board of CLIMIT

Hanna Lerche Raadal is a civil engineer from NTNU and with a PhD from NMBU titled ‘Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity generation systems. Tracking and claiming in environmental reporting’. She began as a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Sustainability Research (NORSUS), formerly Ostfold Research, in 1996 and since 2020, she has been Head of Research at the Institute. Raadal also holds the position of Associate Professor II at NMBU where she teaches at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management.

What do you think is CLIMIT’s most important contribution to the green transformation?

“CLIMIT’s role has been, and must continue to be, to set the innovation and development of future-oriented solutions in motion based on comprehensive documentation. The realisation of carbon capture, transport and storage through the Longship project is a good example of the CLIMIT programme’s vital supportive function. However, at the same time, CLIMIT must also be able to use funds for projects that seem interesting to begin with, but that turn out to be not so promising after all. Research and development are also about discovering things and excluding ideas that are not as beneficial as were intended. We need to figure this out as early as possible in order to avoid making unnecessary large investments. That’s why such knowledge will be useful for pushing forward an area of research that is of vital importance for the world and for humanity.” 

What should CLIMIT prioritise in terms of technology development in the future – where are the gaps?

“The latest revisions to the programme plan mean that efforts will be more focused towards technology development that will help to reduce the risks and costs of full-scale capture and storage projects that are under development. It’s a real priority given the significant emission reductions the industry has to deliver by 2030. There must also be space for research into new capture methods and business models. I also think that it’s a positive that social scientific issues related to how climate and other environmental issues should be handled are being addressed by the programme and that more attention is being given to hydrogen production combined with carbon management, DAC and the value of capturing biogenic CO₂. The green transition isn’t just about technology in and of itself, but also about how we can develop good business models for carbon reduction and removal, including the use of BECCS (Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage), CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) and similar technologies, all based on comprehensive documentation.” 

What needs do you see for the CLIMIT programme over the next five years?

“CLIMIT’s role is to drive research and development that will create the technologies that Norway and the world need to make carbon capture and storage a successful instrument in the fight against climate change. We’ve come a long way, but for the programme to be successful, we need focused efforts for at least the next five years.”

But I would also challenge socioeconomic research communities to contribute their knowledge about what this focus on CCS will mean for value creation in Norwegian society. 

Eystein Leren has been a member of the CLIMIT Programme Board for five years and is pleased that theoretical knowledge about how CO₂ should be managed is being put into practice in industry.

“The work of the Programme Board provides a fantastic viewpoint to follow the development of carbon management technologies and full-scale CCS projects, not just in Norway, but also internationally. The Board provides professional recommendations to Gassnova, the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy about the strategy and direction of the Programme Plan, which is obviously interesting and getting to influence that is a meaningful experience. I would also highlight that the Board’s work is helped by good preparatory work from the secretariat, which, with regard to time spent, makes tasks manageable in an otherwise busy work day.”

How do you encounter CCS in your day-to-day work?

“Ammonia is produced using hydrogen and nitrogen. Hydrogen used in this process is traditionally produced from natural gas, and the waste CO₂ is emitted into the atmosphere. This called “grey” ammonia. As such, decarbonising ammonia has long been on the agenda for environmental reasons, but for us at Yara Clean Ammonia, the point is also to create a sustainable business from zero-emission ammonia. Because if carbon emissions from the process are captured and stored (CCS), the end product will be “blue”. To make it “green”, it needs to be produced using electrolysis and renewable energy. Our task is therefore to develop new segments in the ammonia market in addition to fertiliser, such as shipping fuel, as energy carrier in power and heat generation, and for long-distance transport of hydrogen. Across all new segments, only low and zero-emission ammonia will be used.

“In our work in developing blue and green ammonia production, we are looking at a number of CCS projects both in the North Sea and in North America. In this manner, the commencement of the Longship project is extremely important for the further development of industrial solutions that, among other things, can cover our and other operators’ needs for storage sites.”

What do you think is CLIMIT’s most important contribution to the green transformation?

“CCS represents a technology and value chain that will ensure the transition from fossil fuels to a society based on renewable energy. That’s why CLIMIT has been an important instrument for research and development both at early phases and for industrial projects. Now that CCS is being realised as an industry at full-scale, there will clearly be a need for more efficient and cost-effective technologies that support these efforts. CLIMIT will continue to be extremely relevant if the programme is primarily aimed at meeting this need. I have experienced little disagreement on the Programme Board that this should be the future strategic direction for CLIMIT.”

Member of the Programme Board of CLIMIT

Eystein Leren (59) holds an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Oslo is a graduate of the BI Norwegian Business School. He has worked for over 25 years on projects and business development within gas technology for Norsk Hydro and Yara. In 2019, Yara Clean Ammonia was established as a subsidiary of Yara International, and Leren has a central role in the development of new markets and industries for green ammonia, focusing on ship fuel and energy applications.

What should CLIMIT prioritise in terms of technology development in the future – where are the gaps?

“In principle, anything that could lead to an acceleration in the processes for investment in carbon capture and storage for industry at as low a cost as possible. In my opinion, the risks of depositing CO₂ in geological formations are low, but further documentation of the safety of the reservoirs is still important to speed up CCS efforts.”

“So for some years, we on the Programme Board have both wanted and called for more research into the societal impacts of CCS, that is to say, what significance these efforts will have on value creation and employment in Norway. A limited socioeconomic analysis of Longship has been carried out. However, we need more information – not least for politicians and the general public to understand how important and significant these efforts are for the climate and our common good. It’s possible that CLIMIT’s calls for project proposals have not been clear enough to address this need. I’m therefore taking this opportunity to challenge socioeconomic research communities to develop strong project applications that provide us with the knowledge and analyses we need.”

What needs do you see for the CLIMIT programme over the next five years?

“If we are successful in stimulating research and technology development based on experience from full-scale projects in Norway, Europe and the USA, the CLIMIT programme will also be able to fulfil an important mission in the years ahead. For the CCS industry, process learning will be tremendously important going forward.”

 

Source: Horisont Energi (EURONEXT: HRGI)

CLIMIT has supported the CCS work at Haugaland Næringspark

The infrastructure is already in place in the area, with access to fibre, electricity, water, and sewage, and a large harbour basin with deep-sea quay ideal for the Errai project. The CO₂ terminal will receive CO₂ from both European and Norwegian customers, including from the planned CO₂ terminal in the Port of Rotterdam.

For more informasjon about the Errai-project

 

Earlier this year, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy appointed Jan Gabor as a member of the Programme Board of CLIMIT, and he attended his first meeting in October. “It was both pleasant and very motivating to be invited, and I look forward to making a contribution,” says the newest member of the Board.

“I think the most interesting thing will be to get a close-up view of how the authorities and the various technical disciplines are approaching the management of CO₂, and to examine the many competent applications for support for technology development. So for me, this position will involve a great deal of useful learning.”

How do you encounter CCS in your day-to-day work?

“Mo Industrial Park is now installing a pilot plant for capturing CO₂, where we plan to run a test campaign over six months using flue gas from Elkem Rana and SMA Mineral. The project, which is supported by Gassnova through CLIMIT Demo, uses technology from Aker Carbon Capture, and will be the first of its kind in the world for emissions from furnaces in the metal industry. The project will provide the necessary knowledge to be able to proceed with planning a full-scale facility to capture and store CO₂. The project is also looking at possible links to CCU, i.e. the use of CO₂ as a raw material in industrial processes.”

“We are also working on a project to use hydrogen in connection with a new furnace being built by Celsa Armeringsstål which will phase out CO gas and reduce CO₂ emissions by 60,000 tonnes per year. Replacing fossil energy with green hydrogen at the rolling mill in the industrial park puts the company on track to reach its climate goals of a 50 per cent reduction by 2030 and zero emissions by 2040.”

What do you think is CLIMIT’s most important contribution to the green transformation?

“The short answer is that CLIMIT needs to help bring about technological solutions that significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The goal of 55 per cent lower emissions by 2030 is very challenging, so we need to make best use of the funds CLIMIT has at its disposal.”

What should CLIMIT prioritise in terms of technology development in the future – where are the gaps?

“I believe CLIMIT should give rather greater priority to national initiatives. That means providing support for the technology development that is crucial to realising projects that are now in planning. It is important to identify where in these projects the technical aspects can be improved; no two emission points are exactly the same and there is a high degree of innovation and technology development in every case. CLIMIT’s role is to stimulate technology development, but in order to achieve emission reductions in the industry that make a difference, the government funding agencies must be provided with sufficient resources to ensure that oven-ready projects can actually be implemented. This is where I see the biggest gap when it comes to achieving the demanding national targets for reducing emissions.”

What needs do you see for the CLIMIT programme over the next five years?

“There will be a great need to create solutions for storing CO₂ that are technically appropriate for the individual major emission points in Norway. For those located by a harbour, systems for transport and storage should in principle be easier to establish than for those that are not. But in any event, the storage aspect should be central to CLIMIT for years to come. At the same time, we also need to look at solutions that can help us to establish capture facilities in all sorts of places in Norway, where offshore storage may not be an available solution.”