Partnership moves forward to realize NorFraKalk carbon capture plant – TradingView

Report on the NorFraKalk Carbon Capture Plant Initiative

1.0 Project Overview and Objectives

A partnership between Ocean GeoLoop AS and NorFraKalk is advancing to develop an industrial-scale carbon capture facility at the NorFraKalk plant in Verdal Industry Park, Mid-Norway. The project is a critical step towards achieving climate-neutral production in the quicklime industry, directly addressing global climate and sustainability targets.

• Primary Objective: To engineer, construct, and operate a carbon capture unit with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of CO2.
• Scope: The project includes integrated CO2 liquefaction and storage facilities, creating a comprehensive value chain from emission point to a stored or usable product.
• Strategic Importance: This facility will be the first of its kind in Mid-Norway, demonstrating a viable pathway for decarbonizing heavy industries.
• Funding: The project’s execution is contingent on securing financial support, with an application currently being prepared for Enova, Norway’s state enterprise for promoting environmentally friendly energy.

2.0 Project Timeline

1. Project Commencement: Quarter 1, 2026
2. Plant Completion and Operation: Second Half, 2027

3.0 Technological Framework and Innovation

The project will utilize Ocean GeoLoop’s modular GeoLoop CC technology. This solution is designed to align with sustainable industrial practices by minimizing environmental impact and maximizing efficiency.

• Energy Efficiency: The technology is engineered for high energy efficiency, reducing the operational costs and energy footprint typically associated with carbon capture.
• Environmentally Sound Process: The capture process is chemical-free, mitigating the risk of secondary pollution and aligning with principles of green chemistry.
• Comprehensive Emission Control: In addition to CO2, the technology is capable of removing other local emissions, providing an added environmental benefit.
• Competitive Viability: The solution offers competitive capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX), making it a strong commercial offering for industries seeking to decarbonize.

4.0 Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This initiative makes significant contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning it as a key project in the global transition to a sustainable economy.

• SDG 13: Climate Action: The project’s core mission is to capture 10,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, taking direct and urgent action to combat climate change by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from a hard-to-abate sector.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: By implementing a first-of-its-kind carbon capture plant, the partnership is building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. It fosters innovation and promotes the adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies to upgrade industrial processes, particularly in the lime and cement industry, which is responsible for approximately 10% of global CO2 emissions.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The initiative directly supports the goal of achieving the environmentally sound management of industrial emissions. By creating a circular solution for CO2, the project helps decouple economic growth from environmental degradation and promotes sustainable production patterns.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The collaboration between Ocean GeoLoop (a technology provider), NorFraKalk (an industrial producer), and the pursuit of public funding through Enova exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership. This model is essential for mobilizing the financial and technological resources needed to achieve ambitious sustainable development targets like the EU Fit for 55 climate goals.

5.0 Stakeholder Perspectives and Industrial Impact

Leadership from both organizations has affirmed the project’s alignment with long-term corporate responsibility and climate ambitions. The initiative is viewed as a foundational step toward the full-scale decarbonization of NorFraKalk’s operations. Stakeholders emphasize that this project continues a legacy of responsible production and innovation. The successful demonstration of this cost-effective carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) value chain is expected to provide a scalable model for the global lime and cement industries, which are critical sectors for achieving international climate objectives.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The article focuses on an industrial project involving the engineering, construction, and operation of a new carbon capture plant. This represents an investment in sustainable infrastructure and the application of innovative, clean technology (“modular carbon capture solution”) to upgrade an existing industry (quicklime production).
2. SDG 13: Climate Action: The core purpose of the project is to mitigate climate change by capturing 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The article explicitly links this effort to achieving “climate-neutral production” and contributing to broader climate goals like the “EU Fit for 55,” making it a direct form of climate action.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The project is founded on a partnership between Ocean GeoLoop and NorFraKalk. The article highlights further collaboration with parent companies (Franzefoss Minerals, Nordkalk), the engagement of a wider supply chain, and the pursuit of public funding from Enova, exemplifying a multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve a common sustainability goal.
4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: By implementing a technology to capture industrial emissions, the project directly addresses the environmental impact of production. It aims to create a more sustainable production pattern for quicklime by managing CO2 waste, and the technology is noted as being “chemical free,” further promoting environmentally sound management.
5. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article mentions that the carbon capture process is “highly energy efficient.” This focus on energy efficiency is a key component of SDG 7, which aims to promote clean and sustainable energy use within all sectors, including industry.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 9.4: “By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes…” The project is a direct example of retrofitting NorFraKalk’s industrial plant with a clean carbon capture technology to make its operations sustainable.
• Target 13.2: “Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.” The project’s alignment with the “EU Fit for 55 climate goals” and its application for funding from Enova (a public enterprise) demonstrate the integration of climate mitigation measures into corporate strategy and public support frameworks.
• Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.” The collaboration between private companies (Ocean GeoLoop, NorFraKalk) and a public funding body (Enova) is a clear example of a public-private partnership for sustainable development.
• Target 12.4: “By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air…” The project’s goal is to capture CO2, a waste gas, to prevent its release into the air. The mention of a “chemical free” process directly supports the goal of environmentally sound management.
• Target 7.3: “By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.” The description of the technology as “highly energy efficient” shows a direct contribution to improving energy efficiency in an energy-intensive industry.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Quantitative Indicator: The article provides a specific, measurable indicator for progress on climate action and responsible production. The plant is designed to capture “10,000 tonnes per annum” of CO2. This figure can be used to track the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (relevant to Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added).
• Qualitative Indicator: The article mentions that the technology is “highly energy efficient” and “chemical free.” While not providing specific numbers, these descriptions serve as qualitative indicators of progress towards cleaner production (Target 12.4) and improved energy efficiency (Target 7.3).
• Project-based Indicator: The successful realization and operation of the carbon capture plant itself serves as an indicator. The article states the project is “planned completed and ready for operation during the second half of 2027.” Achieving this milestone would be a clear indicator of a successful partnership (Target 17.17) and the adoption of clean technology (Target 9.4).

Summary Table

Source: tradingview.com