Construction work started in the summer of 2009 after Vassbakk og Stol had completed the groundwork. Then AF-gruppen started the work on the foundation, concrete work, installing piping, constructing the cooling water inlet in the sea and a new electrical distribution station. Kruse Smith carried out the concrete work for Aker Clean Carbon, while Skanska performed comparable work for Alstom.
LAB was responsible for the construction of the administration complex, that opened in October. The 5000-metre administration complex comprises offices, meeting rooms, several operations rooms to run the test facilities, as well as a workshop, laboratory, warehouse, etc.
TCM is now testing two different technologies, from Aker Clean Carbon and Alstom, respectively, for capture of CO2 from two flue gas sources with different CO2 content. The objective of the testing is in part to qualify the technologies for large-scale cleaning of exhaust gas, while simultaneously developing cost-effective technology solutions.
The technology centre at Mongstad is the largest planned pilot project of its kind, with an annual capacity for handling up to 100,000 tonnes of CO2. .
Facts about CO2Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM)
The following companies own TCM:
Gassnova SF (75.12)
Statoil ASA (20%)
A/S Norske Shell (2.44%)
Sasol (2.44%)
TCM DA has its own management, which is responsible for operations and the testing programmes.
TCM is owned by potential end users of the CO2 capture technology. The goal is to bring in additional owners, and the South African energy company Sasol has signed a letter of intent concerning participation.
TCM has two exhaust gas sources: gas turbine exhaust from the new thermal power plant at Mongstad and exhaust from the refinery's cracker. The exhaust gas is relevant for a number of industrial processes, including gas and coal power plants.
TCM will include two CO2 capture technologies – one amine process and one chilled ammonia process.
The absorber towers are used to test amine-based and chilled ammonia-based capture technologies. For CO2 capture after combustion, amines or chilled ammonia are used to absorb CO2. When the flue gas passes through the towers, most of the CO2 will bond with the amine or the chilled ammonia