Aker Solutions starts mobile test facility operation in Sweden

Norwegian engineering firm Aker Solutions started operating its mobile test facility for carbon capture and storage (CCS) at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil, Sweden.

The mobile test unit is part of a programme that assesses the entire ‘value chain’ of CCS, from capture at the refinery to carbon dioxide storage.

The current project is collaboration between Sweden’s largest fuel company Preem, Aker Solutions, Chalmers University of Technology, Equinor, and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF.

Aker Solutions noted that the Preem CCS’ pilot project aims to enable more companies to use carbon CCS technology and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

Funding for the project is provided by the Swedish Energy Agency and the Norwegian research and development programme CLIMIT.

Aker Solutions CEO Luis Araujo said: “We are excited to bring our field-proven carbon capture technology to Sweden for the first time.

“Helping operators reduce their carbon footprint is a key part of Aker Solutions’ strategy, and we look forward to working with Preem and the other partners on the Lysekil refinery.”

The mobile test unit will start capturing carbon from flue gases emitted from Preem’s hydrogen gas plant at Lysekil later this year. This hydrogen gas plant is located in Lysekil on the west coast of Sweden.

The CCS plant is expected to be operational by 2025.

Preem CEO Petter Holland said: “We see carbon capture and storage as a vital measure to reduce global carbon emissions.

“For Preem, a full-scale CCS plant could initially reduce emissions from our Lysekil refinery by 500,000 metric tons annually, which is close to one-third of the refinery’s total CO2 emissions per year.”