Providing access to cost-efficient, replicable, safe and flexible CCUS

Project Information

ACCSESS

Grant agreement ID: 101022487

DOI

10.3030/101022487

EC signature date 20 April 2021

Start date 1 May 2021

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 19 212 436,75

EU contribution

€ 14 983 874,00

Coordinated by

SINTEF ENERGI AS
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ACCSESS (Providing access to cost-efficient, replicable, safe and flexible CCUS)

Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2024-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The vision of ACCSESS is to develop replicable CO2 Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) pathways toward a Climate Neutral Europe in 2050. This will support the EU Green Deal with transforming the EU into a resource-efficient economy with net zero emissions of greenhouse gases. ACCSESS addresses four energy-intensive sectors with potential for large-scale CO2 emission reductions: pulp and paper, cement, waste-to-energy and biorefineries, all with a potential to realise Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).

CO2 capture is demonstrated in a pilot plant in an operational environment (TRL7), as well as through systematic desktop studies of CO2 capture integration, transport, utilisation, and storage. ACCSESS addresses industrial business models, including the end-product cost when applying CCS. The project engages with cities to explore and explain how CO2 capture can contribute to urban climate neutrality.

ACCSESS has 3 main objectives:
1) Demonstrate and integrate cost-efficient CO2 capture and use in industrial installations. Two technologies are being demonstrated. i) CO2 capture, using an environmentally benign solvent together with a rotary packed bed absorber ii) CO2 use through carbonation of alkaline industrial mineral wastes.
2) Provide access routes for CO2 captured from European industries in inland Europe and the Baltics to the flexible transport and storage infrastructures under development in the North Sea. This work combines techno-economic analysis with environmental, legal, regulatory and resilience analyses.
3) Leverage on carbon dioxide removal to drive societal integration of CO2 capture, utilisation and storage towards urban and European sustainability.

ACCSESS has 18 partners from 9 European countries, and 5 linked third parties.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

CO2 capture pilot: Testing the environmentally benign CO2 solutions by Saipem enzymatic solvent technology, in combination with a rotary packed bed absorber developed and manufactured by Prospin/Proceler: The Celsio CO2 capture pilot rig was adapted for operation with the Saipem technology, thereafter first operated at Celsio and then at Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM). Tests at TCM were with both conventional and rotary packed bed absorbers. The pilot rig was moved to the Stora Enso pulp mill in Skutskär, Sweden, and is being put operation with the rotary packed bed. Thereafter, the rig will be moved to the Heidelberg Materials cement kiln in Górażdże, Poland, for the final campaign.

CO2 utilization pilot: Neustark has designed and built a rig for testing and demonstrating re-carbonation of industrial alkaline mineral wastes. Two types of waste have been tested. A supporting process model, calibrated with experimental results, was developed.

Integration of CO2 capture has been investigated, along with studies of improvement potential in industrial plant design when implementing CO2 capture.
• Pulp and paper: Integration of CO2 capture has been investigated for the Skutskär kraft pulp mill and the Langerbrugge recycled paper mill.
• Cement: CO2 capture integration at the Górażdże and Hannover cement kilns was investigated with respect to energy use and cost. KHD has developed new cement kiln concepts, specifically designed for amine capture integration and together with Linde determined costs and cost savings for this new kiln system with CO2 capture.
• Waste-to-energy: Capture integration in view of the regulatory requirements for the Waste-to-Energy sector was investigated. Capture technology integration was studied for amine and non-amine solvents, membranes and oxyfuel combustion.
• Biorefineries: A biorefinery CO2 capture study with TEOT data was performed, evaluating options for cost-efficient clustering of emission points on site.
Participants in capture integration work: Industrial end-users (Stora Enso, Heidelberg Materials, Celsio, VBSA, TEOT, Equinor), industry partners (Saipem, Linde, KHD) and research partners (SINTEF, ETH, VDZ and Chalmers).

Chains and Clusters: Four “pioneering CO2 chains” (existing technologies), were studied from techno-economic and environmental perspectives. Current regulatory gaps for cross-border CO2 transport were assessed. The work is now taken forward through investigation of more advanced capture and transport technologies, using the same methodologies as for the pioneering chains, also incorporating industrial clusters and clustering. Main research partners: SINTEF, ETH and Chalmers with support from project industry partners.

Heriot-Watt University performed experiments on hydrate formation in pure and impure CO2-H2O mixtures and developed models for the phase envelope of CO2-H2O hydrates. SINTEF have developed and verified equations of state for CO2-rich mixtures. Moss Maritime has developed a ship design for large-scale, low-pressure ship transport of CO2.

Chalmers studied the impact from CO2 capture and storage on product cost and carbon footprint in the cement, pulp, Waste-to-Energy and refineries sectors, showing that end-product cost increase typically is marginal. A new value chain transition fund concept for financing such high-cost abatement measures was proposed.

Citizen engagement and acceptance has been investigated by Fraunhofer. Surveys to gather citizens' attitude towards CO2 capture, utilization and storage were conducted, and neutral packaged solutions documents for cities were developed. These explaining concrete technology cases for non-experts such as city administrations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

So far, the enzymatic CO2 Solutions by Saipem capture technology has been operated at Celsio and TCM and is being put in operation at Stora Enso in Skutskär. The Rotary Packed Bed absorber has operated at TCM and Skutskär.

The pilot for demonstrating industrial re-carbonation of alkaline industrial waste has operated with pure CO2. Results indicate that the technology can be implemented at industrial scale at feasible cost.

Heat integration opportunities for solvent capture appear to be good for a chemical pulp mill but limited for a recycled paper mill. A new type of cement kiln, based on known equipment and processes, has been developed specifically for integration with solvent-based CO2 capture (patent pending). A key message for CO2 capture integration in Waste to Energy, after a deep-dive in emissions data from several WtE plants, is that it is necessary to know both the plant and the flue gas composition, dedicated pilot testing with the targeted flue gas during feed studies is advised. The insights are transferrable to other industrial sectors.

The development, design, techno-economic, environmental, and regulatory analysis was concluded for four pioneering chains that capture and condition CO2 from existing European industrial plants via multi-modal transport to selected ports in Northern Europe. Geographic location of the industrial emitters and the CO2 volumes to be transported substantially affect the economic and environmental performance of the chains.

Procedures for safe, large-scale ship-transport CO2 loading and offloading are being developed, taking into account project results.

The minor impact of CO2 capture on end-product costs has been calculated and a Value Chain Transition fund as a potential element in future business models has been proposed. A handbook for cities on how CO2 cpature and stroage could contribute to unlock urban carbon neutrality is being developed.

The CO2 capture pilot

RPB skid - internal view

Neustark Pilot for industrial mineral recarbonation

First Prospin RPB operation with CO2 solutions by Saipem technology at TCM

ACCSESS consortium visit to Stora Enso and the capture pilot