SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Span recieves the 2019 award.

Professor Roland Span wins the SINTEF and NTNU CCS award 2019

Professor Roland Span of Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, received the prestigious SINTEF and NTNU Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Award, honoring his extraordinary contributions and outstanding work in the field of carbon capture technologies.

Professor Roland Span is recognized for his dedication and active commitment to CCS, especially international co-operation within the field of transport and thermophysical properties of CO₂. He has worked tirelessly with lowering the costs and reducing the risks of large-scale deployment of CCS systems.

"Together, Professor Roland Span and his group, SINTEF and NTNU have produced unique data and knowledge for CO₂ transport with impurities in national and international projects," says Nils Røkke, Chairman of the Board of the European Energy Research Alliance and Executive Vice President of Sustainability for SINTEF Energy, one of Europe's largest independent research organisations.

The global CCS community nominated the candidates. The jury said that Professor Roland Span has excelled at all five criteria which were used to determine the winner. The SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award was based on the following criteria;

The candidate shall have played a key role in the contribution or achievement
The contribution of the candidate shall be of outstanding excellence and international acknowledgement according to the above areas
Exhibiting a high degree of creativity
Has promoted and increased the public understanding of CCS
Has fostered international cooperation within CCS.

As the winner of the 2019 award, Professor Roland Span, received a cheque of NOK 50,000 accompanied by a designed plaque and diploma, both of which were signed by the CEO of SINTEF and the Rector of NTNU. Professor Roland Span will be re-invited to TCCS-11 in 2020 to present the same award to the next winner.

About the Award

The SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award is given for outstanding achievements within the field of carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS).

Achievements can be within the areas:

Scientific contributions and breakthroughs
Novel schemes for CCS
Increased knowledge and dissemination of CCS
Promotion and initiation of CCS for pilot, demo and full scale

Provided worthy candidates, the award can be given every second year in connection with The Trondheim Conference on CO₂ Capture, Transport and Storage (TCCS). This is an award for outstanding CCS achievements in general – not a "best paper award".

Anyone can nominate one or more candidates. Both Norwegian and international candidates are equally eligible for nomination.

About the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award - Nils Røkke, EVP Sustainability, SINTEF

Criteria for the award:

The award is given to an individual.
The candidate shall have played a key role in the contribution or achievement.
The contribution of the candidate shall be of outstanding excellence and international acknowledgement according to the above areas, exhibiting a high degree of creativity
Has promoted and increased the public understanding of CCS
Has fostered international cooperation within CCS

Award instruments:

Stipend of NOK 50,000 (Approx. £5000)
A plaque
Free participation at the next TCCS Conference
The awardee will be asked to give a 20 minute Award Winner's Lecture at the TCCS Conference, on a self-decided CCS topic.

Previous award winners

Professor May-Britt Hägg of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) recieved the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award 2017.

She received the award for her long-lasting research on membranes, including both development of membrane materials, and membrane separation processes with a focus on CO₂ capture.

Blog: The winner of the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award 2017 is...

Professor Gary T. Rochelle of University of Texas at Austin recieved the SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award 2015.

He received the award for his long-lasting contributions within CO₂ capture, in particular for his efforts in development of post-combustion technologies.

Blog: Prof. Gary T. Rochelle receives the "SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award"

Dr. Tore A. Torp is a landmark in CCS as such. His name is/will be mentioned as one of the pioneers in CCS. His contributions are many but has a special role in campaigning CCS and initiating CCS projects. He has also been a firm spokesman for the importance of storage and public acceptance and he has been proved right on his concerns. He has also been keen to share storage data from the Sleiper storage at Utsira and Snøhvit with the scientific community.

His international engagements are numerous from chair of the technical committee in the CSLF, member of Al Gore's climate panel, advisor to ZEP and the EU in issues on CCS. He was vital in opening up the EU area for SINTEF and NTNU by supporting initiatives like ENCAP, DYNAMIS and CASTOR. He was also key in the support from Statoil in the BIGCO2 and the BIGCCS centre.

Erik Lindeberg, SINTEF for his pioneering role in research on storing CO₂ in geological strata. The Selection Committee emphasised that Lindeberg played a central role in producing the basic concept of storing CO₂ from fossil-fuelled power stations in geological strata beneath the seabed, out of consideration for the climate. The Selection Committee also pointed out that his pioneering efforts have been of global significance.

• The SINTEF and NTNU CCS Award in the press (in Norwegian): "Mister CO₂ fikk pris" Aftenposten