CCUS Mid-Norway, Industrial Cluster for CO₂ Capture and Transport in Mid-Norway – Phase 2

Background and project purpose?
CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) is costly to implement, and there still remains significant uncertainty for the final value chain. All participants in the CCUS Mid-Norway cluster have ongoing CO₂ capture projects at varying levels of maturity, with a common challenge being the downstream aspect of CO₂ capture. The CCUS Mid-Norway cluster was established in March 2021 and completed Phase 1 in February 2023, with support from CLIMIT.

The current Phase 2 of the cluster collaboration aims to develop and establish a shared concept for transport and storage, along with the associated business model and legal framework, while also exploring opportunities for utilization of captured CO₂.

What is the project objective?
The overall goal of the project is to establish a common concept for CO₂ transport and storage for the industry in Mid-Norway.

Furthermore, the project aims to:
• Establish a solid foundation for analyzing and evaluating the current status, identifying any gaps, and set relevant hypotheses. This involves collecting and compile relevant knowledge and experiences from partners, other CC(U)S hubs/clusters, publicly available information, etc.
• Develop a specific and preferred concept for CO₂ transport and storage, complete with a business model and legal framework.
• Explore potential business models, assessing their attractiveness for utilizing captured CO₂, either within the cluster or as a solution for all or selected partners.
• Ensure necessary contributions from key stakeholders, both within the partnership and externally to relevant local/regional, and national stakeholders.

In addition to benefiting the partners’ own CCUS projects, the project will provide concrete and robust solutions for transportation and storage, map and highlight business models for utilizing captured CO₂, and establish solutions that consider both CCS and CCU purposes for the captured CO₂. This valuable information and knowledge will also support other clusters and companies planning or currently involved in CCUS projects. Furthermore, the project aligns with CLIMIT’s main objective of contributing to the development of knowledge, expertise, technology, and solutions necessary for realizing CCUS projects.

What will the project do in terms of activities?
The work in this project is an extension of phase 1 (CLIMIT project number 620162). This phase, also known as phase 2, is divided into four delivery packages:

1. Cross-Industry Industrial Collaboration: Collect and organize knowledge, information, and experience to create a common basis to evaluate various concepts related to CO₂ transport, storage, and utilization. This shall be done through workshops, interviews, visits, and data collection. The goal is to compile and structure this information as a basis for assessing the current status, identifying gaps, and hypotheses.

2. Concept for Transport and Storage: Developing a specific and preferred concept for CO₂ transport and storage, complete with a business model and legal framework. The project will establish an overview and engage in dialogue with different providers of transport/logistics solutions and permanent storage. Collaboration and dialog with other clusters in Norway and discussions with enabling entities such as municipalities, port owners, Bane Nor (the Norwegian state-owned railway company), grid owners, etc.

3. Opportunities for Utilization of Captured CO₂: Investigating opportunities and assessing a few closely related business models for utilization of captured CO₂. These models will be evaluated for attractiveness, whether within the cluster or as a solution for selected partners.

4. Involvement, Communication, and Knowledge Sharing: Ensuring necessary contributions from key stakeholders and communicating within the partnership and externally to relevant local, regional, and national stakeholders.

Future plans?
In Q1 2025, a decision will be made regarding whether and, if so, how to continue a cluster collaboration in Mid-Norway. The ambition is that through the work in Phase 2, this collaboration in Mid-Norway will mature, leading to shared solutions that contribute to the realization of CO₂ capture from major point sources in the region.