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The four-day-long conference deals with the capture, transport and storage of CO2 produced by gas- and coal-fired power stations and industrial processes. The conference attracts around 1000 delegates from 47 countries.
SINTEF and NTNU are hosting the conference on behalf of the International Energy Agency’s climate gases research and development programme (IEA-GHG.
Norway’s strong position
It is not by chance that the International Energy Agency (IEA) decided to organise the conference in Norway.
“There is always a tug-o’-war to land this conference. The fact that it is coming to Norway this year is without any due because of the strong position of Norwegian research and industry in this area,” says SINTEF’s Nils A. Røkke, who is chairman of the executive organising committee.
EU projects
SINTEF/NTNU and Statoil are members of most of the research projects launched by the EU in this area.
The EU Commission is ready to use billions of kroner to build Europe’s first large-scale thermal electricity-generating utility with CO2 capture and storage. Running on fossil fuel, the new plant will supply not only electricity but also hydrogen, which will be made available for use by various sectors of society. The power station and the hydrogen plant will function as a joint European demonstration facility.
SINTEF has been given responsibility for coordinating the first phase of the project. In this launch phase, which has been given the name of Dynamis, scientists and industrialists from 11 European nations will evaluate, among other aspects, where this unique plant should be built, and which technology should be utilised.
Capital – for a week!
In connection with the giant meeting, several important international consulting groups and some of the world’s largest research projects on CO2 hold their working meetings in Trondheim between June 19 and 22. These four days, Trondheim will virtually become the environmental capital of Europe!
The groups meeting in Trondheim include the joint European forum Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants, an expert group that was originally set up by European industrial interests. The group is now an advisory body for the EU in the field of CO2 capture and storage, and the Commission finances its secretariat. The group is working on questions concerning frame conditions for future energy production and technology choices.
