Lithuania’s operator of the LNG terminal, Klaipėdos Nafta (KN) signed letters of intent with Akmenės Cementas and Orlen Lietuva for a joint feasibility study to assess the potential of liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) technology for industrial companies in the country.
The feasibility study will analyse the potential to reduce atmospheric emissions through the whole carbon dioxide management value chain concept in Lithuania and the applicability of this solution to companies with unavoidably high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their business processes. In 2021, Orlen Lietuva and Akmenės Cementas emitted 1.5 million tonnes and 997,000 tonnes of GHG respectively being among the most GHG-emitting companies in Lithuania. Thus, both parties are actively looking for solutions to reduce GHG emissions and were interested in the analysis launched by KN, Larvik shipping and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) in 2021 regarding a CO2 project that could be implemented using the existing KN infrastructure in Klaipėda.
When analysing the CO2 value chain in Lithuania, KN can contribute by providing its knowledge and expertise gained from the construction and operation of the marine oil and LNG terminals in Klaipėda and facilitating the assessment of the role this infrastructure could play in the CCS value chain.
“The transition to climate neutrality is a real challenge for companies in heavy industry, where replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources in production and rapidly reducing emissions is a complex, time-consuming and investment-intensive process,” said Darius Šilenskis, KN CEO. “Carbon dioxide capture and storage in dedicated sites is one of the most realistic alternatives to decarbonisation when CO2 is basically returned to where it was originally produced. As a company in the logistics sector, KN has the necessary expertise in transporting and storing different types of energy. Accordingly, we see that we could also become an exporter of liquefied CO2 and a part of the entire value chain, thus contributing to the EU’s obligations for countries to reduce emissions and achieve zero emissions by 2050, and for businesses to adapt sustainably to this change.”
“We are one of the largest industrial companies in Lithuania and we pay significant attention to environmental protection, which is a priority area of our business,” stated Artūras Zaremba, Managing Director of Akmenės Cement. “Over the past decade, 115 million euros has been invested in modernising facilities and introducing new technologies to reduce the environmental impact of production. These projects have enabled the company to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels (coal) and consequently reduce GHG emissions and to increase the capacity to burn alternative fuels.”
However, he goes on by saying that replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels is only one part of a complex set of measures to reduce GHG emissions, as in the cement industry, GHG emissions are not only generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, but also by the decomposition of limestone, which is the main raw material for cement.
“Therefore, carbon capture and storage would be one of the most advanced technological solutions that could make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the cement industry,” he added.
“Climate change is also changing the priorities of business leaders,” commented Michal Rudnicki, CEO of ORLEN Lietuva. “As part of the move towards full decarbonisation, we have signed MoUs with businesses that are also interested in reducing CO2 emissions and are planning to provide carbon liquefaction/storage/transhipment services in their operations. We believe that this partnership will help achieve the ORLEN2030 strategy‘s goal of reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent by the end of this decade and achieving zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”
Worldwide, CCS is a technological solution that makes a significant contribution to the future of sustainable energy. In Europe, several CCS projects are currently underway with a clear commitment to developing an environmentally and economically beneficial emission capture solution for industries that are more difficult to decarbonise. Countries such as Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands are leading the way in the field of CCS.