Aker Carbon Capture has been awarded four projects at the pre-FEED and feasibility stages of development during October 2023 alone.  This brings Aker Carbon Capture total contracted studies, Mobile Test Unit campaigns and pre-FEEDs to a combined capture capacity of 8.7 MtCO2/y for 2023 so far. As reported by IFRF previously, Aker are also one of two consortia awarded dual FEED studies as part of the bp lead Net Zero Teesside (NZT) Power  project in the UK. With NZT selected as a Track-1 emitter, Aker are presumably in the running for the EPC contract should this project proceed to the execution phase in 2024 as is currently planned.

Details of these latest four projects in North America and Europe are detailed below:

Feasibility study for mineral production facilities in the U.S. Midwest: awarded a feasibility study to implement carbon capture for mineral production facilities in the USA with a total planned capture capacity of around 1.5 MtCO2/y based on Aker Carbon Capture’s Big Catch concept. The feasibility study aims to develop a design and cost basis for Big Catch CO2 capture and conditioning facilities. Big Catch facilities are fully integrated into the emitting production facility and include both advanced heat integration and downstream integration, described as enabling low energy consumption by reusing energy along the value chain.

“We are excited to be working on this decarbonisation project, which represents a significant step in our strategy to expand into the North American market. We are scaling up to meet the growing demand for CCUS in North America, fueled by strong support from the US Government. New funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and favourable CCUS tax credit changes introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act, have incentivised the deployment of CCUS substantially,” said Jonah Margulis, Head of North America at Aker Carbon Capture.  

This is the third study awarded to Aker Carbon Capture in the United States this year, bringing their total CO2 emissions under study contracts to over 3 MtCO2/y in this market.

Pre-FEED for a Just Catch application in Sweden: awarded a pre-FEED (pre-Front End Engineering Design) for a 200 ktCO2/y Just Catch application by a Swedish energy company. The award follows an earlier feasibility study contract for another Swedish company, Söderenergi, announced in June, further strengthening Aker Carbon Capture’s position in the growing Swedish market.

“We are pleased to see positive market development in Sweden. We have seen a significant boost in interest across the Scandinavian market after we won a contract in May to deliver five Just Catch units for Ørsted in Denmark,” said Jon Christopher Knudsen, Chief Commercial Officer at Aker Carbon Capture. 

Sweden aims to become carbon neutral by 2045 at the latest and after 2045, aims to achieve negative net CO2 emissions. As part of these ambitions, Sweden is positioning itself to become a global leader in generating high quality and durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).  

Feasibility study for biomass combined heat and power facility in Germany: awarded a feasibility study to implement carbon capture at a biomass combined heat and power (CHP) facility with a planned capture capacity of 250 ktCO2/y, again using the Just Catch modular product.

The study will assess the optimal CO2 capture, conditioning, liquefaction, and temporary storage facility as well as the heat recovery potential and heat integration solutions. It will aim to reduce the total heating and cooling demands related to capturing and conditioning of the CO2.

This is the second study awarded to Aker Carbon Capture in Germany, Europe’s largest economy and CO2 emitter. The country aims to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 65% by 2030 compared with 1990 and to become carbon neutral by 2045. CCUS has been identified as playing an important role in the country’s goal to achieve these targets. The German government is expected to publish its Carbon Management Strategy this autumn. 

Feasibility study for major waste-to-energy player in France: awarded a feasibility study to implement carbon capture at a waste-to-energy facility in France. The planned capture capacity will be approximately 200 ktCO2/y and will be based on two Just Catch 100 carbon capture units.

“We are excited to be working on this decarbonisation project, which will be Aker Carbon Capture’s first study in France. CCUS has been identified as playing a key role in France’s goal to achieve Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050”, said Jon Christopher Knudsen, Chief Commercial Officer at Aker Carbon Capture. “To support project developers and scale up CCUS deployment, the government will launch a call for tenders through a Contracts for Difference scheme. We see a strong interest from French emitters, including waste-to-energy companies, to decarbonise through CCUS”, continued Knudsen.