For some industries, such as cement production, capturing and storing CO₂ is the only possibility to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Norwegian government has therefore provided NOK 16.8 billion in support to the LANGSKIP project, which will establish a full-scale facility for CO₂ handling that includes the capture, transport and storage of CO₂.
The capture, transport and storage of CO₂ emissions from the combustion of fossil energy and industrial production is, according to the UN Panel on Climate Change, crucial in order to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. There are several CO₂ management projects in operation worldwide. However, CCS is still expensive, and there is a need for additional technology development. The work on CO₂ management is therefore largely related to the development of technology and the facilitation of cost reductions, according to the Norwegian Government's website. The aim of Langskip is to make it more feasible and less costly to reach the climate targets.
Supplier of non-metallic piping
The cement factory Norcem in Brevik has been chosen as the location for the first full-scale capture facility. Bluegreen is engaged by Aker Carbon Capture to deliver and install the package of non-metallic piping: pipes in polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
"We will install PE pipes to and from the sea for the transport of salt water for cooling, as well as double-walled PP pipes internally in the process area to collect any leakage from the cleaning process", says Bård Bergan, project engineer at Bluegreen.
"The first part of the contract includes pipes which are to be buried in the ground. The second part consists of pipes above ground in the factory itself. We have a short window for installation, so then we do as much prefab as possible in our workshop, so that the process runs smoothly and quickly when we are on site."
Fast and agile
Karl Kristian Bjørnland, Package Responsible Buyer at Aker Solutions, says Bluegreen was chosen as a supplier because of they are fast and agile:
"We had good experiences with Bluegreen from a couple of previous projects with a tight timeframe. They respond fast, and are agile and skilled professionals."
Northern Lights
While the capture of CO₂ takes place at Norcem, it is Northern Lights, a collaboration between Equinor, Shell and Total, that will realize the CO₂ transport and storage. From Brevik, the CO₂ will be transported by ship to a new reception terminal in Øygarden in Hordaland. Then, the CO₂ will be sent through pipelines and permanently stored in a geological formation about 2,600 meters below the seabed.
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