MHI Receives Order for Initial Planning of CO2 Recovery Facility

The planned CO2 capture project is aimed at removing, capturing, compressing and storing CO2 emitted from an existing natural gas-fired CHP plant in operation at Mongstad since 2009 at an oil refinery operated by Statoil, an oil and gas utility. The companies participating in the TQP competition will conduct a feasibility study (F/S) and planning of a pilot plant test for verification, which will be carried out in 2012. Based on the results of the TQP, a concept selection will be made for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase. Plans call for Gassnova and Statoil to prepare for a final decision on the full-scale CO2 capture facility construction around 2016.

Gassnova SF was established by the Norwegian government to manage its interests and to support technology development in the area of CO2 management (capture, transport, injection and storage) addressing global warming prevention needs. Gassnova oversees coordination and decision-making for construction projects of verification plants and commercial facilities, as well as selection of facility suppliers, for implementation of CCS in Norway. Statoil, the largest company of its kind in the Nordic region, is a 70% state-owned enterprise that comprehensively operates energy-related businesses spanning from oil and gas production and refining to sales.

MHI's CO2 recovery technology is known as the KM CDR Process®. It uses the company's proprietary KS-1TM solvent for CO2 absorption and desorption, which MHI and the Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. developed jointly. MHI's technology features considerably lower energy consumption compared with other processes, winning it high evaluations from the market for its performance. To date MHI has delivered nine commercial plants for CO2 recovery from natural gas-fired or heavy oil-fired flue gas, and another plant is currently under construction, making MHI a leader in the industry. For Norway (Gassnova), in 2009 the company completed the FEED for a 3,000 tpd CO2 recovery facility for a GTCC power plant in Karstø. MHI has already established a structure enabling prompt response to demand for large-scale carbon recovery systems.

Through participation in a CCS-related project in highly environmental-minded Norway, MHI looks to establish its presence and demonstrate its reliability in CO2 recovery technology as well as its response capability in large-scale facilities. Going forward the company will further promote expansion of its business in CCS while also contributing to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

Note:

KM-CDR Process is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., in Japan, the United States, the European Union (CTM), Norway, Australia and China.