REALISE · Project

Cut Refinery CO2 Capture Costs by 30% While Catching 90% of Emissions

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Oil refineries pump out a lot of CO2, but right now the best capture technology only grabs about half of it — and it's expensive. REALISE figured out how to capture up to 90% of a refinery's CO2 by connecting multiple capture units across different exhaust stacks, like putting filters on every chimney instead of just the biggest one. They tested this at a real, working refinery in Cork, Ireland, using a new chemical solvent that needs 30% less energy and corrodes equipment 70 times less than the standard solution. The result: dramatically more CO2 captured at roughly 30% lower cost per tonne.

By the numbers

90%

CO2 capture rate from operating refineries

30%

lower CO2 capture cost vs. standard MEA technology

30%

lower energy demand from new solvent

70x

lower corrosion than standard monoethanolamine solution

80%

lower active component loss from reduced oxidative degradation

10%

lower CAPEX from cheaper construction materials

10%

lower OPEX from intelligent Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

100-200 kg CO2/tonne oil

typical refinery direct CO2 emissions

consortium partners across 8 countries

industrial partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Oil refineries emit 100 to 200 kg of CO2 per tonne of oil processed, and current capture technology only catches 50-60% of those emissions because it focuses on the biggest exhaust stacks while ignoring smaller ones. This leaves refineries exposed to rising carbon costs and tightening EU regulations. The industry needs a way to capture significantly more CO2 without doubling the cost of doing so.

The solution

What was built

A demonstrated multi-absorber carbon capture system tested at an operating refinery in Cork, Ireland, with a new low-energy solvent and intelligent predictive control. The project delivered 34 outputs including high-level process flow diagrams mapping the full chain from CO2 emitter to storage, plus societal readiness assessments for at least 3 refinery business cases.

Audience

Who needs this

Petroleum refinery operators facing carbon compliance costs in EuropeCO2 transport and storage infrastructure developersChemical process equipment manufacturers targeting the CCUS marketIndustrial cluster managers coordinating shared decarbonizationEngineering consultancies designing refinery decarbonization roadmaps

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Oil Refining

enterprise

Target: Petroleum refinery operators with multiple CO2 emission sources

If you are a refinery operator dealing with tightening carbon regulations and high capture costs — this project demonstrated a multi-absorber system that captures up to 90% of CO2 across all your stacks, not just the biggest ones. The technology cuts capture costs by 30% compared to standard amine scrubbing, and uses a solvent with 70 times lower corrosion, meaning less equipment replacement and maintenance downtime.

Industrial Gas & Carbon Management

enterprise

Target: CO2 transport and storage service providers

If you are a CO2 logistics company building transport and storage infrastructure — this project mapped the full chain from emitter to storage, working directly with the Northern Lights and Cork CCS projects. The high-level schematics from emitter to storage give you tested blueprints for connecting refinery clusters to offshore storage. With 90% capture rates instead of 50-60%, your pipeline utilization goes up significantly.

Chemical Process Equipment

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of absorption columns, heat exchangers, and solvent systems

If you are an equipment manufacturer supplying the carbon capture market — this project validated a new low-energy solvent with 30% lower energy demand and 80% lower active component loss, which means customers need smaller regeneration units and less solvent replacement. The 10% lower CAPEX from cheaper construction materials (enabled by 70 times lower corrosion) opens a market for lighter, less expensive capture hardware.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does this technology reduce CO2 capture costs?

The project demonstrated 30% lower CO2 capture cost compared to the current standard technology based on 30 wt% monoethanolamine solution. This comes from multiple savings: 30% lower energy demand from the new solvent, 10% lower capital costs from cheaper construction materials, and 10% lower operating costs from intelligent predictive control.

Can this work at industrial scale on a real refinery?

Yes. REALISE was specifically designed as a demonstration project at an operating refinery-centered cluster in Cork, Ireland. The consortium includes 9 industrial partners across the full technology value chain, and the project assessed the complete CCUS chain from emitter to storage in coordination with the Northern Lights transport and storage project.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project was coordinated by SINTEF AS (Norway) with 17 partners across 8 countries. Based on available project data, specific IP and licensing terms are not publicly disclosed. Companies interested in the technology should contact the consortium partners, particularly the industrial members, to discuss licensing arrangements.

How does this compare to existing carbon capture solutions?

Current technology captures only 50-60% of refinery CO2, focusing on the highest-volume sources. REALISE's multi-absorber concept targets up to 90% capture by addressing multiple smaller emission stacks. The new solvent also shows 70 times lower corrosion and 3 times lower thermal degradation than the industry-standard monoethanolamine solution.

What regulatory drivers make this relevant now?

Refining is a highly energy-intensive sector emitting 100 to 200 kg CO2 per tonne of oil processed. With EU carbon prices rising and emissions trading tightening, refineries that can capture 90% instead of 50-60% gain a significant compliance advantage. The project also calculated societal readiness for at least 3 business cases relevant to refineries in the EU and China.

How quickly could a refinery implement this?

The project ran from May 2020 to October 2023 and completed 34 deliverables including process flow diagrams from emitter to storage. As a closed Innovation Action with full-chain demonstration, the technology components are at advanced readiness. Implementation timelines would depend on site-specific engineering and permitting.

Consortium

Who built it

REALISE brings together 17 partners from 8 countries with a strong industrial tilt — 47% of partners are from industry, including 9 industrial players spanning the complete CCUS value chain. The coordinator, SINTEF AS from Norway, is one of Europe's largest independent research organizations with deep expertise in carbon capture. The consortium bridges directly to real infrastructure through shared partners with the Northern Lights CO2 transport project and Cork CCS storage project. The advisory board includes Concawe, an association representing 40 refinery operators across Europe, which provides a built-in pathway for replicating results across the industry. Two SMEs in the consortium suggest commercial spin-off potential. Partners from China and South Korea extend the market reach beyond Europe.

SINTEF ASCoordinator · NO
CYBERNETICA ASparticipant · NO
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
TSINGHUA UNIVERSITYinternationalpartner · CN
EQUINOR ENERGY ASparticipant · NO
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY BOARDparticipant · IE
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT
NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNUparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORKparticipant · IE
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGHparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

SINTEF AS (Norway) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate introductions to the project team and relevant industrial partners.

Order a report on this consortium See SINTEF AS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the REALISE team about deploying this at your refinery? SciTransfer provides introductions to the right consortium partners for your specific use case.

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