Elkem and Ferroglobe to study CCS in a common hub in Rana

Enova has granted Elkem and Ferroglobe a grant of 17 million NOK, for a pre-study to continue the development of a joint carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Rana, Norway. The project, if finally realized, will capture 95% of CO2 from the two plants, a total of 520.000 MT, for permanent storage, as well as recover all excess energy from both plants.

"We are pleased to receive this grant from Enova, which will enable us to continue our important work towards reducing our carbon footprint. CCS is essential to reach net zero by 2050, and with this pre-study we will continue developing the strategy and maturing the concept for capturing and storing the CO2 from our plants. Funding, such as from Enova, is vital to make this project a reality," said Helge Aasen, CEO of Elkem.

Elkem also plans to increase the use of biocarbon as a reductant within 2031, and some of the captured CO2 from Rana will be biogenic. This means that there is potential for negative emissions.

“Support schemes which make CCS viable in a competitive global industry is necessary if we are to reach net zero. Credits for carbon removal is also among the possibilities, and we are glad the Norwegian government is looking into different potential financing schemes for carbon removal,” said Helge Aasen.

The objective of the pre-study is to establish technical solutions for a carbon capture, liquefaction, temporary storage and off-loading system at port, and energy recovery systems, integrated to the two smelting plants. The technical solutions and documentation will be detailed to enable capex and opex estimates and preparing to further mature the projects.

"We are pleased to support Elkem's work on the development of this exciting carbon capture project. Carbon capture technology will play a crucial role in the transition to a low-emission society, and this project is an important step in the right direction," says CEO of Enova, Nils Kristian Nakstad.

The total CO2 emissions from the two plants will be about 520,000 MT CO2/year, and the project is planning for a capture rate of about 95%. This capture level was achieved in Ekem’s pilot project, which was completed in 2023. Part of the CO2 will be biogenic, and total energy recovered is between 900-1000 GWh, sufficient for carbon capture and domestic heat system in Mo i Rana, with excess energy delivered to the grid as electrical power.

The overall budget for the pre-study is 33.4 MNOK, and the project will be executed during 2024, with the final reporting during Q1/2025.