20 years of strong CCS technology development

Since 2005, the CLIMIT Programme have seen a major development in the programme’s mandate.

Design of the programme

CLIMIT’s priorities are laid out in a separate programme plan, which defines the types of projects that can be supported. The programme plan is revised every three to four years. These revisions have been necessary to follow trends in technology development within the framework and mandate of the programme. As such, the CLIMIT programme has moved from just supporting projects related to CCS at gas-fired power plants to now including technologies for both the energy and industrial sectors. A key condition for the programme is the requirement for long-term carbon storage for CCS to be viewed as a viable climate initiative.

Research, development and demonstration

The cooperation between Gassnova and the Research Council of Norway has been incredibly fruitful, not least because the programme has a joint secretariat.

CLIMIT R&D is the research arm of the programme, managed by the Research Council of Norway. It focuses on basic research and development of new knowledge and technologies for CCS.

CLIMIT Demo is the demonstration arm, managed by Gassnova. It supports the development, piloting and demonstration of technologies at larger scale to reduce risks and costs. Several projects have progressed from R&D to Demo. It is the dialogue and understanding in the secretariat which is important for getting this to work for applicants.

What is going on around us?

The expansion of carbon capture and storage as a method to combat climate change has been slow due to a weak market for these solutions. A significant barrier has been the absence of robust business models that offer investors the predictability and earning potential needed to commit to CCS projects.

Interest in and the relevance of CCS is well documented, but the current market weakness has resulted in a weak ability to pay and justified scepticism from private stakeholders interested in building fullscale facilities to capture carbon.

However, the CLIMIT programme has been able to make a difference here. The best example is the Longship project, where previous CLIMIT projects have been vital for Norway now being able to realise large-scale carbon capture and storage. Another example is the cluster projects. CLIMIT has contributed to industrial actors cooperating on common CCS infrastructure. In other words, CLIMIT is vital to the work on reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions.

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Technology trends and future opportunities

When CCS projects need to be realised – such as when Longship moves into its operational phase, for example – experience from the operational phase will offer major learning opportunities that will provide a basis for improvements of technologies and solutions that are already mature. These learning opportunities will contribute to the further development of well-functioning technologies towards a standardisation that will reduce costs and risks.

It is reasonable to expect that interest in wholly new solutions based on CCS will grow in the years ahead and will be of significance for which development projects will be picked up by Norwegian industry. The production of hydrogen from natural gas with CCS, direct air capture or in combination with the use of biomass, use of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) and international cooperation projects are relevant examples in this context. CLIMIT will also be important for promoting such technologies.

Collaboration and networking

CLIMIT promote collaboration between industry, academia and international partners. This is crucial for strengthening the dissemination of knowledge and ensuring relevance for industrial use both in Norway and internationally.

Communication and dissemination

It is important that CLIMIT-supported projects contribute to the dissemination of information to provide the public and decision makers with sufficient knowledge about CCS as a necessary climate initiative. Projects are encouraged to also include public information campaigns via social media, discussion fora and other public spaces.

We look forward to our continued cooperation with those receiving CLIMIT support.