Expertise

Unparalleled CCS Experience

Our expertise is grounded in hands-on experience from major CCS projects across the globe, including our team's involvement in the development, construction and ongoing optimization of the world's first fully integrated post-combustion CCS plant - SaskPower's Boundary Dam Unit 3 (BD3) CCS facility near Estevan, Saskatchewan. The BD3 CCS facility has safely captured and stored more than 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 since it began operation in 2014, equivalent to taking more than one million cars off the road for one year.

As a successful first-of-a-kind project, BD3 offers critical lessons and continued innovation that new CCS projects are building upon to reduce the risks and lower the costs of large-scale CCS deployment across heavy-emitting industries.

 

Advancing the Next Generation of CCS

The Knowledge Centre is a leading resource for assisting project developers, policymakers, academics and other players in the CCS ecosystem. By leveraging the experience and lessons learned from BD3 and other CCS projects, we are supporting a wide range of clients and projects. Examples include:

Spearheading the feasibility study to retrofit SaskPower’s Shand Power Station – a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant – with a large-scale CCS facility that would have double the capacity of the BD3 CCS facility. The Knowledge Centre continues to collaborate with SaskPower on examining the use of CCS on natural gas-fired power plants.

 

Leading the comprehensive feasibility study on the world’s first full-scale CCS facility at a cement plant, which is currently under development at Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton facility. The study was made possible with funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, and led to follow-up work that improved the business case for the project with the addition of a combined heat and power facility. We continue to support Heidelberg’s Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work for the project which is expected to be operational in late-2026

Supporting 11 large-scale CCS/CCUS projects in Alberta with funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta’s Carbon Capture Kickstart competition. The Knowledge Centre was selected to provide up to 200 hours of technical advice on pre-construction design and engineering studies for projects across industrial sectors including power generation, cement, fertilizer, forest products and oil and gas.

Developing a first-of-a-kind knowledge sharing initiative for CCS/CCUS projects, thanks to foundational funding from the Government of Alberta. The project is intended to curate and disseminate information and data gleaned from Canadian CCS projects in a dynamic way, leading to the adoption of CCS leading practices. Knowledge sharing will provide value to CCS projects and governments through accessible, relevant content, lessons learned and insights gained from collected information and data.

Consultation and creation of CCS-related publications and information resources. In 2023 we were commissioned to produce a comprehensive guidebook for developing CCS/CCUS projects in the cement sector for members of the Global Cement and Concrete Association. We also worked with the Canadian Standards Association to create a fact sheet and infographic outlining applicable Canadian and international standards to facilitate the safe and efficient development of CCUS infrastructure

Providing frequent independent analysis, commentary and input on CCS-related policies, incentives and regulations in North America and abroad. Recent publications include a review of policies, incentives and credits for CCS projects in Alberta; analysis of Canada’s proposed legislation for a CCUS investment tax credit, and a briefing on the importance of FEED studies in project development. Visit our CCS Policy Analysis page for more details. 

 

Understanding the Fundamental Drivers of CCS 

At the International CCS Knowledge Centre, we understand that there are fundamental drivers that enable carbon capture & storage (CCS) projects beyond those associated with engineering processes. 

Often the overarching considerations enabling a project are related to certain economic realities, energy mixes, proximity to storage or EOR sites, and policy incentive or regulation governance. With these considerations in mind, we work with decision makers to advise on the viability of a contemplated CCS project.

Click on each triangle for more details.

Financing

There are funding institutions interested in financing CCS especially in developing countries. Ex:

  • Green Climate Fund
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Mission Innovation

CCS Projects

Commercial experience in:

  • Carbon Capture – Boundary Dam Unit 3
  • Storage Site – Aquistore
  • Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) – Weyburn Oil Field
  • State of the Art Test Facility - CCTF

The Knowledge Centre will advance flue gas analysis, waste water management, construction optimization, absorption methods, and other technical areas related to CCS.

As project advisor, the Knowledge Centre has the capacity to work for any new global CCS project. Including:

  • Business Case
  • Technology Evaluation
  • Operations
  • Lessons Learned

Policy & Economics

Statutory considerations, international commitments, and social costs are overarching considerations for CCS deployment.

The Knowledge Centre will engage stakeholders to disseminate knowledge on the value of CCS as a policy tool for GHG abatement.

The cost of not implementing CCS is as important as the cost of CCS technology. The Knowledge Centre will apply its experience to reduce the costs of CCS, and also facilitate a regional integrated resource planning.

Capacity Building

In order to implement CCS, a location must have the capacity. The Knowledge Centre offers:

  • personnel training at its cluster facilities
  • testing and training at CCTF