World’s First Full-Scale Carbon Capture and Storage Project Progressing in Norway

The agreement was signed in Oslo on 2 October. (Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland)

The project to develop the world’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage system located on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) is moving along with subsidiaries of Shell and Total signing on to join Statoil in leading the effort.

Norwegian state-owned carbon capture technology firm Gassnova awarded Statoil the contract for the first phase of the project June 2017. Norske Shell and Total E&P Norge are now entering as equal partners, while Statoil will lead the project.

The storage project is part of Norwegian government’s efforts to develop full-scale carbon capture and storage in Norway so that long-term climate targets in Norway and the EU can be reached. If built, it will be the world’s first carbon storage site to receive carbon dioxide from several industrial sources.

The first phase of this CO2 project could reach a capacity of approximately 1.5 million ton per year, according to Statoil.

“Statoil believes that without carbon capture and storage, it is not realistic to meet the global climate target as defined in the Paris Agreement. A massive scale up of number of CCS projects are needed and collaboration and sharing of knowledge are essential to accelerating the development. We are very pleased to have Shell and Total as partners and believe their experience and capabilities will further strengthen this project” says Irene Rummelhoff, Statoil’s executive vice president for New Energy Solutions. “We trust that this robust partnership is well positioned to develop this first-of-a-kind project.”

According to Statoil, the system will capture CO2 from three onshore industrial facilities in Eastern Norway and transport CO2 by ship from the capture area to a receiving plant onshore located somewhere on the west coast of Norway. At the receiving plant, CO2 will the be pumped over from the ship to tanks onshore before being sent through pipelines on the seabed to several injection wells east of the Troll field on the Norwegian Outer Continental Shelf.

All the partners in the project have committed to contributing people, experience, and financial support.

Shell sees CCS as a transformative technology that can significantly reduce emissions from those industrial sectors that will continue to rely on hydrocarbons for decades to come. Shell has significant experience of working with governments and other experts to support the development and wide-scale deployment of CCS and are pleased to be joining forces with our joint venture partners.”, says Monika Hausenblas, Shell’s executive vice president for Environment and Safety.

“Total is integrating the climate challenge into its strategy. Total’s involvement in this first commercial-scale storage project, is thus fully aligned with our low carbon roadmap and our strategy to ultimately become a global CCUS leader” said Philippe Sauquet, President, Gas, Renewables & Power and President, Strategy-Innovation at Total. “The aim of this first integrated industrial-scale project, supported by the Norwegian Government, is to develop viable, reproducible commercial CCUS model in view of carrying out other major projects around the world.”