Transition to a zero carbon industry in Norway and Sweden. Process solutions and supporting infrastructure (“ZEROC”)

Background and project purpose?
Both Norway and Sweden are targeting near zero domestic carbon emissions in 30-40 years. In fact, Sweden is aiming for net negative emissions in the longer term indicating the necessity of Bio-CCS (BECCS). In 2015, the industry accounted for 40-60% of total GHG emissions in Norway and Sweden with the transport sector being the other major source and it is highly likely that the industry will have to reach zero emissions or – at the very least – near zero emissions by 2045, if the national targets are to be met.

There are several options to reduce CO₂-emissions in the Nordic basic industry such as increased use of renewable energy, switch to biomass feedstock, switch to other energy carriers (e.g. electricity and hydrogen in the steel industry) and applying Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The most obvious way to achieve large negative emissions is the use of BECCS. However, the prerequisites for implementation of the different mitigation options such as cost and adequate timing vary between industries as well as between individual sites. In addition, the willingness to pay for emission reduction cutting may vary between industries (e.g. depending on competition and the value of the end product).

SINTEF AS and Chalmers University of Technology have for several years worked together in projects within CCS and energy efficiency. This project builds on previous work and looks at how Norway/Sweden can work towards a carbon-neutral industry. As Norway has good opportunities for storing CCS and Sweden has emissions of CO₂ that they want to reduce, a collaboration on CCS between the two countries could be beneficial. In addition, we have good transmission capacity in the electricity grid, but also quite different industry and energy mix. By creating good logistics solutions both nationally and across countries, the costs of reducing the carbon footprint can be reduced.

What was the project objective?
The goal for the project was to create a proposal for a road map for a carbon-neutral Norwegian/Swedish industry in a 2045 perspective. A focus was infrastructure, as well as which process changes can be made to reduce the costs of the various measures. The project should also try to estimate costs for various measures that the industry can implement to reduce its carbon footprint, mainly CCS, but also increased use of biomass, electricity, and hydrogen.

What has the project done in terms of activities?
The ZEROC project has mapped the need for infrastructure and looked at which process changes need to be put in place to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint in both Norway and Sweden. The main focus has been on carbon capture and storage (CCS), but the project has also compared CCS with the use of biomass, electricity, hydrogen and other technologies to assess the cost/benefit effect for the individual industry. SINTEF and Swedish Chalmers have looked at how Norway and Sweden can work together to establish a carbon-neutral industry. This involves both the development of technology and a collaboration to establish an infrastructure.

The Norwegian part of the project has delivered 4 reports:

• CO₂ sources in south-east Norway and opportunities for reducing emissions
• Selection of carbon reduction technologies
• Reduction of industrial emissions in the industry in Telemark
• Summary report of ZEROC’s work on the Norwegian side

Together with the Swedish part, ZEROC has presented the project at several different conferences and webinars. An overview of the public deliveries is available here www.sintef.no/zeroc

What has the project achieved? Did the project achieve its objective?
The production and distribution of electricity face ongoing challenges as consumption rises, and there’s a limit to the extent biomass can replace fossil resources. Industries must individually decide on emission reduction measures based on their products, local factors, and costs. ZEROC acknowledges the general possibilities but refrains from specific recommendations due to a lack of detailed internal knowledge. Obtaining cost data for emission reduction measures has proven difficult, and comparing these costs across different developmental phases adds complexity. Despite uncertainties in energy costs, access, and CO₂ emission expenses, industries need to navigate these challenges to implement emission reduction technologies. ZEROC notes that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is relevant for many industries, especially when the main processes remain unchanged, and the technology is readily available. While no specific roadmap is outlined, the focus is on describing the opportunities for each industry and company to reduce their emissions.

Future plans?
Climate-positive solutions for the industry are something that both SINTEF and Chalmers, along with their partners, will continue to work on. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding various measures, both in terms of energy efficiency and costs. Both SINTEF and Chalmers aim to contribute to reducing this uncertainty and identifying the best measures for each individual company. There is currently no application for a direct follow-up project of ZEROC, but if there is interest from the funders and partners, there might be a second ZEROC in a later phase. SINTEF is currently working to establish a project on common solutions for CCS in the industry in Grenland, GICCS 2, specifically looking at the possibility of having a distributed absorption facilities in each industrial area and a shared desorption equipment in an area where waste heat / steam is available. Additionally, there will be shared liquefaction before common transportation to a suitable storage location.