Key component installation marks important milestone in Ørsted’s full-scale carbon capture and storage project

Absorbers, desorbers, and direct contact coolers are large key components for the future carbon capture facilities at Asnæs Power Station and Avedøre Power Station. They have now successfully been lifted into place, marking an important milestone for the ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’. In accordance with the project timeline, this brings Denmark’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain project closer to realisation.

Ørsted has taken the next big step towards the realisation of Denmark’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage project (CCS), the ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’. This is done with the lifting five sets of absorbers, desorbers, and direct contact coolers, which together constitute the key components of the two carbon capture facilities under construction. Three sets have been lifted into place at Asnæs Power Station, two sets at Avedøre Power Station.

Ole Thomsen, Senior Vice President and Head of Bioenergy at Ørsted, says:

“By establishing a full CCS value chain, the ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’ marks the beginning of the Danish CCS adventure. Therefore, I’m proud to see the construction taking shape, as the key components are lifted into place. It’s a key milestone that we’ve been working towards since beginning the construction. The absorbers, desorbers, and direct contact coolers are essential components that enable the facility to capture and store CO2. With those in place, we’ve taken a great leap forward towards realisation of our project.”

Work has now started on installing internals and piping for the key components, connecting them to the rest of the power stations.

Additionally, Ørsted has received CO2 tanks where the captured carbon dioxide will be stored intermediately until it is shipped to the Northern Lights storage reservoir in the Norwegian part of the North Sea once the ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’ is operational.

The ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’, which was awarded a 20-year contract by the Danish Energy Agency in May 2023, will capture 430,000 tonnes of biogenic CO2 annually from the two combined heat and power plants. The capture and storage of carbon from the straw- and woodchip-fired power stations remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

The ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’ is expected to be operational in early 2026.

Facts – how the key components work:

The sets are comprised of three components that each performs a key role in capturing carbon dioxide:

1. Direct contact cooler (DCC):
Cools the flue gas by spraying water directly into it. Removes impurities and reduces the temperature, which improves the efficiency of the carbon capture.

2. Absorber:
Removes carbon dioxide from the flue gas by passing it through a liquid that chemically binds the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide-rich liquid is then sent to the desorber for further processing.

3. Desorber:
Heats the carbon dioxide-rich liquid to release the carbon dioxide gas. The released carbon dioxide is collected and compressed for storage or further use.

Each carbon capture unit will be able to capture 12,5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hour.

Facts about the ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’ project:

• The ‘Ørsted Kalundborg CO2 Hub’ project aims to capture and store 430,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from early 2026, equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from approximately 200,000 petrol-powered cars.

• Ørsted is responsible for the full CCS value chain.

• Ørsted will capture 150,000 tonnes of biogenic carbon per year from the straw-fired unit at Avedøre Power Station. The carbon dioxide will initially be transported by lorry to Asnæs Power Station until a potential shared pipeline infrastructure across Zealand has been established.

• The straw-fired unit at Avedøre Power Station converts locally sourced straw into electricity and district heating. The straw used is a by-product of agriculture.

• Ørsted will capture 280,000 tonnes of biogenic carbon per year from the wood chip-fired unit at Asnæs Power Station, which will also function as a carbon dioxide hub, handling and shipping biogenic carbon from both the Avedøre and Asnæs power stations to the Northern Lights storage reservoir in the Norwegian part of the North Sea.

• The wood chip-fired unit at Asnæs Power Station converts wood chips into electricity, district heating, and process steam for the local industry. The wood chips come from sustainably managed production forests and consist of surplus wood from forest management and sawmills.

• Read more about the project here: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) | Ørsted