Decarbonisation Technology May 2025 Issue

Case study: Empowering world’s first CO 2 capture facility in the cement industry

A global cement manufacturer selected Chemelex Raychem heat tracing solutions for the construction of the world’s first full-scale CCS plant, located in Norway. One of the main ingredients in cement, clinker, is made by heating limestone (CaCO₃) to extreme temperatures. This process releases carbon trapped in the stone, which reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere to form CO₂. The client owns many cement factories around the world and plans to reduce its footprint drastically over the coming years by investing in CCS installations. This Norwegian project is the first of its kind and was completed in 2024. The CCS process involves three key steps: capture, transport, and storage of CO₂ emissions. The capture technique in this plant is CO₂ amine absorption, and has the following equipment: • Pre-scrubber to cool down the flue gas and remove particles. • Absorber (or scrubber) to bond CO₂ to a chemical amine (at ~50°C/120°F). • Desorber (or stripper) to release the CO₂ from the amine (at ~160°C/320°F). • Reboiler: 4-5 bar (58-72 psi) steam required to heat the desorber. The captured CO₂ will then be liquefied and transported for final underground storage 3,000 metres under the seabed in the North Sea. Chemelex played an important role in supplying electrical materials, including heat tracing solutions. Raychem HTV high-temperature self-regulating heating cables with high power retention (HPR) and BTV heating cables proved ideal for this plant’s freeze protection and

Figure 5 Raychem heating tracing installation

process maintenance applications. Chemelex engineers also provided design assistance to ensure the best performance and system longevity and to reduce power distribution requirements, lowering total installed costs. The high-temperature Raychem HTV self-regulating heating cables boast impressive performance, retaining more than 95% of their power even after 10 years of use. With a design life of 30+ years, they provide long-lasting reliability. Additionally, Chemelex provides customers with peace of mind through its 10-year product warranty. Through its Raychem brand, Chemelex has an extensive track record of bringing heat tracing experience to CCS projects. Since 2012, its heat tracing solutions have been playing a crucial role in the operation of the world’s first CCS demonstration plant in Mongstad, Norway. Also, it continues to bring its heat tracing experience to CCUS projects worldwide, in oil and gas, biofuels, power and other industries, fostering a more sustainable future.

CO – lean exhaust gas

CO for utilisation and sequestration

30 - 50 ˚C

Desorber

Absorber

Rich amine

110 - 130 ˚C

Steam

Lean amine

Pre-scrubber

Exhaust gas

Reboiler

Exhaust gas

Figure 4 Diagram of typical carbon capture process