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Chapter 6. Environment
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Publication: CLIMIT`s Project Portfolio

6. Environment

6.1 CLIMIT has contributed to increased knowledge on amine emissions

In 2008, CLIMIT awarded funds for the first time to a project examining the impact of amines on health and the environment. The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) gathered Norwegian expertise and reviewed the available literature in the field. The background to this was a workshop on this topic the previous year with participants from industry, the authorities and research institutes.

The push for this is that carbon capture with amines will result in small emissions to the air of amines and degradation products through the cleaned flue gas released from chimney stacks. At the capture facility itself and in the atmosphere, amines can among other possibilities react to form nitrosamines and nitramines, some of which are known to potentially increase the risk of cancer [1].

The 2007 workshop was the start of a number of national and international research projects in the field of amines and health and the environment. The knowledge basis and methodology of assessing and following up emissions to air of amines and degradation products were developed and demonstrated. The aim was that emissions to the air from amine-based carbon capture could be assessed in the same way as other industrial emissions.

Below, research activities in the area of amines and health and the environment will be described, with a starting point in the CLIMIT programme and with reference to Norwegian CCS initiatives. Other international activities and initiatives will not be discussed.

The Kårstø plant. Photo: Statkraft

6.2 Amine emissions became a topic in 2006

Amine emissions related to carbon capture was discussed in a study by the The Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority (NVE) [2] from 2006. The report stated that the cleaned flue gas from a gas-fired power plant could contain 1 to 4 ppmv of amines, and that this would amount to annual amine emission to the air of between 40 to 160 tonnes. In 2007, amine emissions to the air were a topic for a workshop at NILU with participation from industry, the authorities and research institutes. Here it was noted that “The knowledge level of emissions to the air and the effect of emissions of this sort of substance is low” [3].

6.3 First CLIMIT award in 2008

The NILU project from 2008, “Effects on health and the environment of emissions to the air of amines as a result of carbon capture (1891217)” [4], was the first CLIMIT project in this area. The project had the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) as partners. Based on data from the available literature, a worst case study [5] was carried out, which concluded that the maximum emissions of amines was in the same range as emissions that were estimated in the NVE study from 2006 [2].

It was also noted that there was little data about amines relevant to carbon capture. This kick-started a range of projects. NILU continued the work through the project “Amine Emissions during Carbon Capture Phase II (199874)”, together with NIVA, NINA, the University of Oslo (UiO) and the former University for Nature and Biosciences (UMB) at NMBU. NILU and its partners methodology and dispersion modelling have since then formed the basis for the Technology Centre Mongstad’s (TCM) assessment and application to the Norwegian Environment Agency in relation to various capture chemicals that have been tested at TCM since the facility opened in 2012.

In the SINTEF ACT project “Sustainable Operation of post-combustion Capture plant (332511)”, which began in 2021, further work was carried out on amine emissions to the air with the overall goal of developing technologies for emissions control, as well as harmonising regulations of amine-based capture facilities.

6.4 Amine degradation is a core topic

As the health risks are related to nitrosamines and nitramines, the degradation  of amines in the atmosphere will be a core topic. Together with national and international partners between 2009-2011, UiO carried out three vital CLIMIT projects: “Atmospheric Degradation of Amines (193438, 201604 and 208122)”. The projects investigated a total of eight amines relevant for carbon capture experimentally at the European Photo Reactor (EUPHORE) in Valencia, Spain. Further investigations at the EUPHORE reactor was carried out by UiO in the “Atmospheric Chemistry of Amines and Related Compounds (244055)” (2015-2019) project. Quantum chemistry calculations are used to quantify the degradation products, such as nitrosamines and nitramines. This is essential data making dispersion modelling and assessments in relation to, for example, TCM’s operations application to the Norwegian Environment Agency and for similar permits for the Brevik CCS capture project and Hafslund Celsio’s project at Klemetsrud.

In an amine-based CO2 capture plant, amines are degraded during operation. In the Equinor project “Flue gas degradation of amines (196051)”, the influence of oxygen, NOX and temperature on amine degradation was investigated in a laboratory rig. This may prove to be a good method for uncovering which degradation components a specific capture chemical can provide during operation. This method was later refined by SINTEF. The rig was the subject of further development, and was used by the participants in the technology qualification for the planned fullscale project at Mongstad (CCM). This project was cancelled in 2013.

6.5 How can we reduce amine emissions to the air?

CLIMIT has also supported measures to reduce amine emissions to the air. These include the projects “Reduction of emissions from amine-based CO2 capture plant» (201607)” at SLB Capturi (formerly Aker Clean Carbon) and “Reduction of amines UV-light (210239)” at NTNU. In 2016, “Monitoring and mitigation of aerosol related solvent emissions in post combustion capture (AEROSOLVE)” began, led by SINTEF, and investigated aerosol-based emissions of amines to the air. The project included tests at SINTEF’s Tiller facility and at Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM).

Effects of amines, nitrosamines and nitramines in the natural environment are the topic of two CLIMIT projects “Environmental fate studies of CO2 capture solvents toward risk assessment (203095)” at SINTEF, and NIVA’s “Future Drinking Water Levels of Nitrosamines and Nitramines near a CO2 Capture Plant (FuNitr) (336357)”. NIVA’s FuNitr project and “Sustainable OPEration of post-combustion Capture plants (332511)” (SINTEF) were both active in 2024.

6.6 Recommendation for content in the air and drinking water

On behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency in 2011, the NIPH assessed the health effects of emissions of amines, nitrosamines and nitramines. The conclusion was a recommendation that the total amount of nistrosamines and nitramines should not exceed 0.3 nanograms per cubic metre of air or 4 nanograms per litre of drinking water. In 2023, the Norwegian Environment Agency requested a new review from NIPH which concluded that previous recommendations should remain in place [1].

An overview of other studies under the auspices of Norway was drawn up by Gassnova [6]. This includes the comprehensive process of technology qualification to the fullscale project at Mongstad. TCM has developed a similar overview of studies focussing on amine components [7].

6.7 Conclusion

The knowledge basis and methodology for assessing and following up emissions has been developed and demonstrated. This is to say that emissions to the air from amine-based carbon capture can be assessed by authorities in the same way as other industrial emissions. This methodology is amine-, facility- and site-specific. Different amines have different degradation products, the different facilities’ design and the location of where the CCS facility will be built will have a specific topography, weather patterns and background levels of pollution. In 2024, 16 years after CLIMIT gave the green light to the first project in the field of amines and health and the environment, there are two active projects in the portfolio. This indicates that it is still possible to improve and expand the knowledge basis within this area.

6.8 References

  1. Helserisiko fra CO2-fangst er vurdert på nytt. https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/aktuelt/fagmeldinger/2024/januar-2024/helserisiko-fra-co2-fangst-er-vurdert-pa-nytt/
    (In English: https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/publikasjoner/2024/januar-2024/new-knowledge-on-health-effects-co2-capture/)
  2. Pål Tore Svendsen (red.), CO2-håndtering på Kårstø, NVE 2006, https://publikasjoner.nve.no/rapport/2006/rapport2006_13.pdf
    (In English: https://publikasjoner.nve.no/report/2007/report2007_02.pdf)
  3. Knudsen, S.; Moe, M.K.; Schlabach, M.; Schmidbauer, N.; Dye, C., Environmental impact of amines from CO2 capture https://nilu.no/publikasjon/21790/
  4. Knudsen, Svein; Karl, Matthias; Randall, Scott, Summary report: Amine emissions to air during carbon capture. Phase I: CO2 and amines screening study for effects to the environment. https://nilu.brage.unit.no/nilu-xmlui/handle/11250/2718655
  5. Karl M, Brooks S, Wright R, Knudsen S. Amines Worst Case Studies Worst Case Studies on Amine Emissions from CO2 Capture Plants (Task 6). NILU: OR 78/2008. https://nilu.brage.unit.no/nilu-xmlui/handle/11250/2718672
  6. HSE Studies https://ccsnorway.com/hse-studies/
  7. Studies with focus on amine components, https://tcmda.com/studies-with-focus-on-amine-components

6.9 Additional relevant references

189127CO2 and amines screening study for effects to the environmenthttps://nilu.brage.unit.no/nilu-xmlui/handle/11250/2718655
196051Flue gas degradation of amineshttps://climit.no/en/project/flue-gas-degradation-of-amines/
201607Reduction of emissions from amine-based CO2 capture planthttps://climit.no/prosjekt/reduction-of-emissions-from-amine-based-co2-capture-plants/
203095Environmental fate studies of CO2 capture solvent towards riskhttps://climit.no/en/project/environmental-fate-studies-of-co2-capture-solvents-toward-risk-assessment/
208122Atmospheric Degradation of Amineshttps://climit.no/prosjekt/atmospheric-degradation-of-amines-ada-2011/
210239Reduction of amines UV-lighthttps://climit.no/en/project/reduction-of-nitrosamines-in-co2-capture-by-uv-light/
225764Experimental Investigation of Atmospheric Amine Degradationhttps://climit.no/en/project/eksperimentell-undersokelse-av-atmosfaerisk-amindegradering/
616125Monitoring and mitigation of aerosol related solvent emissions in post combustion capture (AEROSOLVE)https://climit.no/en/project/monitoring-and-mitigation-of-aerosol-related-solvent-emissions-in-post-combustion-capture-aerosolve/
199874Amine Emissions during Carbon Capture Phase II

https://nilu.no/publikasjon/27433/
244055Atmospheric Chemistry of Amines and Related Compounds

https://climit.no/en/news/improved-environmental-knowledge-about-amine-based-co2-capture/
332511Sustainable OPEration of post-combustion Capture plants

https://www.scope-act.org/about
336357Future Drinking Water Levels of Nitrosamines and Nitramines near a CO2 Capture Plant (FuNitr)https://www.niva.no/en/projects/FuNitr

6.10 In Norwegian «Tillatelse til virksomhet etter forurensningsloven» mv for TCM, Norcem og Klementsrud