PEM fuel cells

ExxonMobil has also recently revealed its vision for a massive $100 billion CCS project.

INOVYN, and the University of Chester are partners on HyNet North West hydrogen and CCS project.

Carbon capture in Norway

In order to provide safe storage for CO2 emissions which cannot be avoided, Norway’s Equinor is also developing a project which will provide carbon storage as a service.

In partnership with oil majors Shell and Total, Equinor in May 2020 took a final investment decision on the Northern Lights project, Europe’s first commercial-scale carbon transportation & storage project off the coast of Norway, with an initial investment of almost NOK 6.9 billion ($839.6 million).

The Northern Lights is part of the Norwegian full-scale carbon capture and storage project called Longship or, in Norwegian, Langskip. The project has been described by the country’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Tina Bru, as the greatest climate project in the Norwegian industry ever.

The full-scale project includes the capture of CO2 from industrial sources in the Oslo-fjord region (cement and waste-to-energy) and shipping of liquid CO2 from these industrial capture sites to an onshore terminal on the Norwegian west coast. From there, the liquified CO2 will be transported by pipeline to an offshore storage location subsea in the North Sea, for permanent storage.

Equinor in October 2020, awarded the first big contract for the Northern Lights project, which went to Skanska. The contract is for building site preparation and the construction of jetty facilities for the CO2 receiving terminal. Following a historic vote in the parliament, the Norwegian Government in December 2020 announced its funding decision for the Northern Lights CO2 transport and storage project.

Only days later, Equinor awarded two key contracts for the project, which included the one for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the onshore plant facilities at Energiparken in Øygarden and delivering a subsea injection system for the CO2 well in the North Sea. The contracts, with a total value of NOK 1.3 billion ($158 million), were awarded to Kvaerner and Aker Solutions. Furthermore, Subsea 7 and Aibel were also hired for the project under contracts awarded in January 2021.

Subsea 7 was awarded a contract for engineering, fabrication and installation of a 100 kilometres CO2 pipeline that will run from Øygarden to the CO2 storage complex, as well as installation of umbilicals, tie-in and pre-commissioning activities. Aibel won an EPCI contract for the Northern Lights subsea control system located on the Oseberg A platform.

The Northern Lights project will be developed in phases with Phase 1, which is expected to be completed in mid-2024, including capacity to transport, inject, and store up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

Once the CO2 is captured onshore by industrial CO2-emitters, Northern lights will be responsible for transport by ships, injection, and permanent storage some 2,500 metres below the seabed. The facility will allow for further phases to expand capacity.

Dutch Porthos project

Port of Rotterdam CO2 Transport Hub and Offshore Storage project, known as Porthos, is a joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Gasunie, and EBN.

The project is being developed as the Netherlands is working to lower emissions by 49 per cent by 2030 and by 95 per cent in 2050 relative to 1990 levels as part of its climate objectives. The importance of CCUS for the energy transition has been underlined by the country’s national coalition agreement and the national Climate Agreement.

The Porthos project will transport the CO2 captured by the industry in the Port of Rotterdam and store it in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea. The project plans to store an annual amount of 2.5 million tonnes of CO2.

In 2019, oil majors Shell and ExxonMobil as well as Air Liquide and Air Products joined the project through a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Porthos JV partners, committing to continue with the permit procedures and the technical preparation of the project. After signing the sequel to the first JDA in the fall of 2020, Porthos and the four partners agreed to keep working together towards the realisation of definite transport and storage contracts.

During 2020, the JDA partners also applied for subsidies from the Dutch government as part of the SDE++ or the sustainable energy transition subsidy scheme. Reports confirmed that the Dutch government will grant around $2.4 billion in subsidies to the Porthos consortium for the CCS project. After the grant is awarded, the permit procedures are expected to be completed by late 2021 and the entire year will be used to prepare for the construction of the capture plants.

Following the FID, planned for 2022, the project is set to become operational in 2024 and expected to reduce emissions in the industrial cluster around the Port of Rotterdam by around 10 per cent. During the year, the Porthos project organisation will be working on the technical preparations of laying pipes on land and the seabed, building the compressor station, and adjusting the platform at sea.

United States

Apart from its participation in Porthos, ExxonMobil has also recently revealed its vision for a massive $100 billion CCS project, with Houston, the energy capital of the world and the home to over 12,000 ExxonMobil employees, being assessed as one of the potential locations. In addition to being one of the largest industrial emission sources in the country, Houston’s proximity to geologic formations in the Gulf of Mexico that could store large amounts of CO2 is also an important factor.

Northern Lights carbon capture and storage project. Image by Equinor.

Offshore cable specialists: getting the hang of things

Vos Prodect Innovations applies extensive offshore experience to the support of sustainable energy production. The company is a pioneer in the field of cable hang-off systems and other cable accessories for the offshore industries. Over the last 60 years the company has constantly reinvented itself in the face of shifting market demands and industry trends.

In recent years, the VPI’s engineering specialists have continued to develop the company’s Hang-Off System (HOS). This highly efficient system is designed to secure medium and high voltage power cables to the top of a foundation or cable deck on a monopile, jacket or rig.

The VPI HOS utilizes both temporary and permanent hang-off clamps that are operated independently, thereby separating cable operations. The HOS secures the electricity cable during subsea installation and securely locks it afterwards.

'Detailed diagnostics'

Fit for purpose

The system, explains VPI CEO Marc Derks, has proven itself time and again. “Even during the initial development of the HOS we performed load tests under the observation of Germanischer Lloyd (the classification society now merged with Det Norske Veritas to form DNV GL). These tests clearly demonstrated the system’s capabilities and abilities to meet the requirements of an offshore wind farm project.”

Fast and easy

One of the main benefits of the HOS, says Marc, is its simplicity. “Experience has taught us that an easy installation is crucial. It saves precious time offshore, leading to reduced installation time and considerable cost savings . “The VPI HOS offers a very straightforward installation. In fact, the average installation takes just 45 minutes and even inexperienced users are able to install it in under an hour.” To assist those less familiar with the system, VPI offers preliminary installation support and training days, to provide users with firsthand experience of assembly and installation.

Next generation

“It’s not only speed that counts of course,” Marc states. “Quality is also very important. As a company we have a desire to continually improve our solutions and services. Therefore, we have developed the next generation of hang-off systems – the HOS 2.1. This has been extensively tested and re-designed following results. It incorporates a number of innovations and represents a lengthy and robust process of evolution. The final result is something totally aligned with market demands.”

VPI has also developed a low, 250 mm version of the HOS 2.1 for use in the low space environment of the cable deck.

Like all VPI’s products, its HOS solutions undergo continual, vigorous quality and conformity checks and extensive testing, both at VPI’s own on-site facility and at third party locations. VPI also offers a complete system that includes both the HOS and the company’s Cable Protection System (CPS). The complete system has been tested and installed at project locations all over the world, as Marc explains.

“The CPS provides bend restriction and impact protection. It also serves to stabilize subsea power cables. At the same time, the HOS secures and locks the electricity cable during installation to the offshore platform. Having witnessed the performance of the systems combined, we feel very confident in stating this is a system that is proven effective for offshore projects.”

Supporting sustainable energy production

VPI has undertaken over 150 projects all over the world. From its beginnings the company has served both the telecom sector and the oil & gas industry. More recently, VPI has been turning its experience towards the support of the offshore renewables arena.

“At VPI we are very proud of the contribution made by our products to the production of sustainable energy at offshore wind farm locations,” concludes Marc. “We are also proud of the collaborations and partnerships we have all over the world that have contributed to the development of these products. Together, we are working towards the creation of a greener world for everyone.”

For more information contact Cagatay Aygar Technical Sales Vos Prodect Innovations E info@vos-prodect.com I www.vos-prodect.com

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