Preem kicks off Sweden’s largest CCS project

Sweden’s largest test facility for carbon dioxide capture has begun operation at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil.

Norwegian engineering firm Aker Solutions is providing its mobile test facility for the project.

The project will analyze the whole value chain from capture to storage of carbon dioxide off the Norwegian west coast.

It also aims to enable more companies to utilize carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and reduce their CO2 emissions.

The project is a collaboration between Preem, Aker Solutions, Chalmers University of Technology, Equinor and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF.

The Swedish Energy Agency and the Norwegian research and development program CLIMIT also contribute with funding.

The mobile test unit will during 2020 capture carbon from flue gases coming from Preem’s hydrogen gas plant at the Lysekil refinery on the west coast of Sweden.

The technology for capturing and storing CO2 is important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and for achieving Sweden’s climate goals.

It is also part of Preem’s vision to reduce CO2 emissions and to become climate neutral by 2045.

The goal is for the tests to form the basis for a full-scale CCS plant that can be operational by 2025.

“We see carbon capture and storage as a vital measure to reduce global carbon emissions. For Preem, a full-scale CCS plant could initially reduce emissions from our Lysekil refinery by 500,000 metric tons annually, which is close to one-third of the refinery’s total CO2 emissions per year,” said Petter Holland, chief executive officer of Preem.

The carbon dioxide will be stored in Norway, which is leading in this area and has better geological conditions for storage than Sweden.

Preem made a statement of intent to collaborate with the Northern Lights project last fall.

Northern Lights is a project that includes Equinor, Shell and Total and to develop the technology and the transport chain to store carbon dioxide in bedrock under the North Sea.

Northern Lights plans to commence in 2024.

Torbjørg Klara Fossum, vice president of Global CCS Solutions at Equinor, said:

“Equinor is involved in several different projects in the capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide.

“This project can give us third-party volume for our transport and storage project, Northern Lights. In addition, a carbon capture technology is used that may be relevant for our facilities.

“This type of collaboration between industry, research and government is crucial to the success of carbon capture and storage.”