“Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of the Implementation of Carbon Capture from Major Emission Sources at Preemraff Lysekil” (PREEM CCS)

Background and project purpose?
Preem AB – or Preem – is one of the largest CO₂ emitters in Sweden. It operates two refineries on the West coast of Sweden, one in Lysekil and another one in Gothenburg. The geographical location of the Preem refineries means that it is relevant to consider a connection to the Norwegian full-scale CCS project. CO₂ captured by Preem can be relevant to ship to the planned CCS hub on the Norwegian west coast, for permanent storage.
What was the project objective?
The main purpose of the project was to investigate the feasibility of implementing full-scale CO₂ capture from Preem’s hydrogen production unit (HPU) at Preemraff Lysekil in Sweden, producing liquid CO₂ for permanent storage off the Norwegian west coast, in agreement with the specifications and requirements set out in the Norwegian Northern Lights/Longship transport and storage initiative.
What has the project done in terms of activities?
The main project activities were as follows:
• demonstration of carbon capture at the hydrogen production unit (HPU), which is based on steam methane reforming (SMR), at the Preem refinery in Lysekil using Aker Carbon Capture’s mobile test unit (MTU) for pilot-scale testing of CO₂ absorption,
• extrapolation of the results of the demonstration into the context of a pathway towards full-scale implementation of CO₂ capture from the HPU, and other major emission sources at the Lysekil refinery as well as at Preem’s refinery in Gothenburg,
• in-depth investigation of energy efficiency opportunities along the CCS chain, including recovery and use of residual heat at the refinery site to drive the solvent regeneration process as well as use of alternative carbon capture solvents,
• evaluation of the technical feasibility and cost of the CCS chain including CO₂ capture and transportation by ship to storage facilities off the Norwegian west coast,
• investigation of relevant legal and regulatory aspects related to trans-border CO₂ transport and storage and national emissions reduction commitments in Norway and Sweden.
What has the project achieved? Did the project achieve its objective?
The project objectives were achieved, and all the deliverables have been finalized. Particularly:
• The on-site pilot-scale tests of amine-based CO₂ capture from the flue gases of the refinery’s HPU were conducted successfully, thereby demonstrating the technical feasibility of the capture process, verifying critical process parameters, and reducing the technical and commercial risk for later full-scale project development.
• A feasibility study for a plant capturing 90% of the CO₂ emissions at the HPU in Lysekil using Aker Carbon Capture’s technology was delivered.
• The cost and external energy demand to produce steam for the CO₂ capture unit from low-cost and low-emission heat sources for solvent regeneration were estimated for different capture cases (capture from the HPU and other stacks in Lysekil).
• The CO₂ capture and liquefaction process for different capture cases was modelled, mapping technical performance in terms of energy demand, consumables, and equipment design.
• Five CCS value chain alternatives for the Preem refinery in Lysekil and an additional value chain which also considers transport of CO₂ captured from the Preem refinery in Gothenburg were evaluated considering technical feasibility and cost. Key performance indicators such as the cost of CO₂ captured and CO₂ avoided for the value chain, as well as the cost reduction potential with different transport alternatives (e.g., reduced shipping pressure, economy of scale) were estimated.
• Relevant legal and regulatory aspects related to trans-border CO₂ transport and storage and national emissions reduction commitments in Norway and Sweden were investigated, clarifying that the transport of CO₂ from Sweden to Norway for the purpose of geological storage under the seabed is legal since 2019. Economic incentives for CCS in Sweden were also described.
• Using the results from Preem CCS, a roadmap for full-scale CCS implementation at the Preem Lysekil was proposed.
Two public deliverables are available:
• D5.1 PreemCCS Synthesis of main project findings
o Available online in the Chalmers repository: See links
• D4.2 Legal and regulatory framework for Swedish/Norwegian CCS cooperation
o Available online in the SINTEF repository: See links
Future plans?
A next step could be a more detailed study on how to implement full scale CCS at the Lysekil refinery. Some issues to be addressed, which were out of the scope of Preem CCS, include, for example:
• practical feasibility and implementation aspects for heat and operational integration between the refinery HPU and the capture plant including HSE analysis,
• detailed investigation of the onsite cooling system alternatives and effect cost of CO₂ avoided,
• effect of increasing CO₂ capture rate on cost of CO₂ avoided,
• detailed investigation of the interfaces needed for ship loading,
• additional cost reduction possibilities for ship CO₂ transport, leveraging on synergies with other emerging CCS projects in the North Sea (e.g., joint transport, sharing assets, economy of scale), and
• evaluation of opportunities for producing electro-fuels using captured carbon and renewable hydrogen (CCU). The captured carbon should be non-fossil and the fuel produced should be targeted at transportation sectors that lack viable low-carbon alternatives.

It is clearly necessary to continue with ongoing efforts to monitor legislation and work with authorities to understand and comply with all necessary legal frameworks, particularly regulations regarding responsibility for COs leakage during transportation from the capture site to the permanent storage site.
A more detailed description of the future plans can be found in the public report “PreemCCS Synthesis of main project findings”