Aker Solutions ASA: Aker Solutions to perform world's first tests for capture of CO2 from cement industry

16 May 2013 - Aker Solutions has won a contract to test and study the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flue gas emitted by the cement industry. The award from Norcem, in cooperation with the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) marks the first time technology to capture CO₂ is used at a cement production plant.

Aker Solutions will perform long-term testing on the actual flue gas to select optimum chemical solvent for high content CO₂ flue gas at Norcem's plant in Brevik, Norway. Tests will be performed with Aker Solutions' in-house developed Mobile Test Unit (MTU). The MTU is a fully fledged CO₂ capture plant that includes all processes and functions you will find in a large scale commercial plant.

The project results will provide Norcem and its parent company HeidelbergCement, valuable information for future decision-making on reduction in CO₂ emissions, and help the European cement industry understand the use of technology for future full-scale CO₂ capture from cement production plants.

"The cement industry is a major emitter of CO₂ and there is a potential to reduce emissions substantially," says Henning Østvig, Head of Front End & Technology in Aker Solutions. "We really look forward to working with Norcem, HeidelbergCement and ECRA in this important forward-looking project."

"HeidelbergCement and Norcem have already taken major steps in reducing the emissions of CO₂ from the production of cement," says Per Brevik, Director Alternative Fuels at HeidelbergCement Northern Europe. "The next important step is CO₂-capture. We look forward to testing the technology together with Aker Solutions."

The cement industry aligns strategy and practical testing and project experience through ECRA, whose mission is to advance innovation in the cement industry within the context of sustainable development and to communicate the latest knowledge and research findings in cement and concrete technology. With a membership of over 40 leading cement producers worldwide, ECRA supports and conducts research activities on the production of cement.

ECRA members picked Norcem Brevik as the site for ECRA operational CO₂-capture test project. The project is supported and partly financed by the CLIMIT programme, which is managed by Gassnova in cooperation with the Research Council of Norway.

Aker Solutions has developed CO₂-technology solutions since the early 1990s. A separate company, Aker Clean Carbon, was established in 2007 as a company under Aker ASA to commercialise carbon capture technology. Aker Solutions took full ownership of Aker Clean Carbon in 2012 and carbon capture and storage activities are an integrated part of Aker Solutions.

The contract value is undisclosed.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Media:
Ivar Simensen, Vice President Communications, Aker Solutions. Tel: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail])

Suppliers:
For further information about sourcing and potential subcontracts for this project, please visit www.akersolutions.com/suppliers (http://www.akersolutions.com/suppliers)

Career opportunities:
Visit http://www.akersolutions.com/careers (http://www.akersolutions.com/careers)

Aker Solutions provides oilfield products, systems and services for customers in the oil and gas industry world-wide. The company's knowledge and technologies span from reservoir to production and through the life of a field.
 
Aker Solutions brings together engineering and technologies for oil and gas drilling, field development and production. The company employs approximately 28 000 people in more than 30 countries. We apply the knowledge and create and use technologies that deliver our customers' solutions.
 
Aker Solutions ASA is the parent company in the group, which consists of a number of separate legal entities. Aker Solutions is used as the common brand and trademark for most of these entities. In 2012 Aker Solutions had aggregated annual revenues of approximately NOK 45 billion. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com. (http://www.akersolutions.com.)

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Source: Aker Solutions ASA via Thomson Reuters ONE

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