Cooperation on the capture and storage of CO2

As a result of an expert seminar 22-24 November 07, Norwegian and French researchers will now cooperate more closely on developing solutions for the capture and storage of CO2

Together, companies and organisations from the two countries will have more impact in the EU research programmes.

A number of project proposals were defined after a two-day seminar held in Oslo on 22-23 November attended by Norwegian and French experts on CO2 capture and geological storage (CCS).

The methods of approach may be different in Norway and France but the goals are the same; a significant and urgent reduction in climate gas emissions.

Norway has a goal of reducing these by 30 per cent by 2020, while France, like the rest of the EU, is aiming for a 20 per cent reduction by 2020.

By 2050, Norway intends to be climate neutral, while France aims to reduce its emissions to a quarter of their current level.

New joint project initiatives.

The most important proposals are:.

- The launch of a forum to discuss the suitability of various CO2 capture technologies.

- A possible EU project to look into transporting CO2 from Normandy to the North Sea for storage.

- Various forms of cooperation between large scale demonstration projects in France and Norway.

- Mutual participation in projects to develop technology or industry standards.

- A common research seminar to discuss CO2 to be arranged by IFP and NTNU in the spring of 2008.

A lot of research work is being carried out in both Norway and France, ranging from basic research to full-scale demonstration projects, and more projects are in the pipeline.

StatoilHydro has 11 years of experience with CO2 storage on the Sleipner field in the North Sea.

A test facility for CO2 capture technologies will be built at the Mongstad gas power plant in western Norway and be in operation in 2010, for which Alstom will provide a capture plant.

Gaz de France has experience from the K12-B CO2 injection project in the North Sea.

Total has been running a CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) programme since 2001: "We will acquire new experience when we in 2008 start pumping CO2 into an empty gas reservoir in Lacq in South West France.

150 000 Tonnes of CO2 will be pumped into the reservoir during a period of two years" explained Total's Project Director Nicolas Aimard.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Liv Monica Stubholt in the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy underlined that we must implement several measures at the same time in order to reduce climate emissions.

CCS is one of the most important measures, together with improving energy efficiency and the generation of renewable energy.

"The challenge facing CCS is that no full-scale facility has yet been built yet.

Financing will be a key factor for carrying out the Mongstad project as quickly as is necessary," Stubholt said, referring to the StatoilHydro test facility for CO2 capture in 2010 and the plans for full CO2 capture at Mongstad from 2014.

"Successful event Businesses, research institutions and universities in both countries have shown great interest in the seminar.

Instead of a traditional conference attended by professional experts, we chose to arrange a seminar where everyone had an opportunity to actively contribute to discussions on needs and ideas.

The framework was the highly topical challenges involved in global climate change and the two countries' politicies and strategies regarding research and technology development," says Stale Selmer-Olsen from DNV and chairman of the French-Norwegian Foundation.

"I've wanted this seminar since I became ambassador two years ago.

Norway and France have cooperated in the oil and gas sector for a long time" says France's ambassador to Norway, Chantal Poiret.

"This cooperation will be even closer now that Total and StatoilHydro have been chosen by Gazprom of Russia to be involved in the development of the Stokhman field.

This was demanding but the results exceeded our expectations.

New positive contacts were forged between experts and a number of specific proposals regarding possible joint projects were put forward".

"We've already received a lot of positive feedback and are convinced that the seminar and proposals will be followed up," says Selmer-Olsen on behalf of the organising committee.

The seminar was held in the Alstom Norway office premises in Oslo and was organised by the French embassy in Norway in cooperation with Alstom, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the Research Council of Norway, the French-Norwegian Foundation (FNS) and Total, with support from StatoilHydro and Gaz de France (GdF).

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