Equinor and DNV to develop CO2 leak simulation software for CCS

Norway’s Equinor and DNV have partnered to develop software for safety assessments of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

The KFX CO₂ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software will simulate accidental leaks of CO₂ from the CCS process, including from storage facilities, pipelines, trucks or ships.

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“The rapid development of this technology is important not only for DNV and Equinor, but also for society,” said Kenneth Vareide, chief executive of DNV’s digital solutions business.

“CCS is an important part of the transition to a low-carbon economy where safe operations are based on accurate, detailed and extensively validated simulations.”

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The three-year partnership, funded by Equinor, will look at how thermodynamics and terrain play a part in where CO₂ if it is released. CO₂ is often transported and stored in a liquid or supercritical state, and concentrated CO₂ is much heavier than air, so it typically accumulates in pits and valleys.

“To make the most cost-efficient design decisions without compromising on safety, it is necessary to have as detailed simulations as possible and DNV is committed to collaborate closely with customers in the areas of hydrogen safety, CO₂ , ammonia and liquefied natural gas, enabling the accelerated energy transition journey,” said Trond Evanger, head of Section CFD Solutions.

DNV is contributing its experience in advanced CFD simulation tools used for carbon capture projects, as well as its development of the KFX software, which the company acquired in 2017.