A 'key milestone' on a collaborative project to deliver CO2 capture technology efficiency has been reached claims Westec Environmental Solutions (Verditek group) and project partners Sintef and the Carbon Capture & Conversion Institute.

The pilot-scale project passed a key milestone on Wednesday, successfully completing the initial testing phase using independent testing at the Sintef facility in Norway.

Verditek said the next and penultimate phase of the project would comprise solvent optimisation, process modelling, contactor optimisation, and pilot-scale validation, followed by scale-up to full industrial volumes.

Westec's patented absorption technology is said to offer new solutions and aims to make CO2 capture affordable, the board explained, by delivering performance improvements that would translate into 'significant' capital and operational cost savings for utility companies, refineries and cement kiln operators.

The cost of capturing carbon from industrial processes, is being supported by the Norwegian state's carbon capture and storage enterprise Gassnova SF with a US$2.2m matching grant through their CLIMIT Programme.

As a result, Westec was discussing a possible licensing agreement of its technology with a Canadian customer.