“More than one road that leads to Rome”

"CLIMIT should therefore bear in mind that there is more than one road that leads to Rome”.

Benedicte Solaas has been a member of CLIMIT’s Programme Board since the start of 2022. She succeeded Hildegunn T. Blindheim, who became CEO of Offshore Norway last autumn, with Solaas taking over her position as Director, Climate and Environment.

‘Everyone’ knows that CO₂ emissions have to be managed

 “As a new member of the Programme Board, I find it very exciting to be able to look in depth at issues that are crucial for us both nationally and globally if we are to reach our climate goals. ‘Everyone’ knows that CO₂ emissions have to be managed, but involvement in CLIMIT gives both me and the industry I represent an incredibly good insight into the technologies that can and should be developed in order for us to actually achieve this.”

Solaas says that the CLIMIT Secretariat does a very thorough job of preparing and explaining the many project applications to be considered by the Programme Board.

“The positive thing in this regard is to see how many academic communities in Norway are engaged in finding solutions to the technical and societal challenges of capturing, transporting and storing CO₂ in the best possible way. Formidable efforts are being made to formulate good applications and obtain funding not only from CLIMIT but also from the industry. The discussions around the Board table are also very enlightening and constructive. So the organisation and content of the CLIMIT programme are very important for the development of a diverse CCS industry in Norway.”

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

“In Offshore Norway we have a separate forum for CCS involving representatives of the member companies. There we work mainly with the policy framework and regulations for transport and storage of CO₂. We know there are strict demands for our industry to contribute to achieving the climate goals by gradually creating a new and forward-looking energy industry on the Norwegian continental shelf, where the management of CO₂ is a key element. With this in mind, we have focused in particular on solutions for transport and storage, where the expertise in the oil and gas industry has been crucial to developing rules and frameworks to safeguard the environment and safety. This is important not only for the successful launch of the Longship project, but also for future CCS projects.”

“But when the oil industry has a strategic climate goal whereby emissions are to be halved by 2030 and reduced almost to zero by 2050, we need to work on many different measures that bring us towards these targets. Electrification of parts of the continental shelf is very important, but people are also working on other solutions in which capturing CO₂ offshore is one of several possibilities to be assessed.”  

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

“It is support for technology development and business models that lay the foundations for CCS on a broad basis. Together with the industrial partners, the Norwegian government has invested heavily in Longship, which is a fantastic, ground-breaking project. But it is also important to develop technology for other, alternative solutions for managing CO₂, as a basis for a viable and productive CCS industry for many years to come. CLIMIT should therefore bear in mind that there is more than one road that leads to Rome”.

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

“As a recent addition to the Programme Board, part from the general response I have given to the previous question, I am a little cautious about identifying very specific areas of technology that need to be covered in the future. I will listen closely to the recommendations made by the Secretariat and very competent Board members. But the need for the CLIMIT programme over the next five to ten years is beyond dispute.”