What Technology Centre Mongstad does

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM DA) is a Norway-based public-private partnership that operates the world's largest and most flexible open-access test facility for post-combustion CO2 capture technologies, located at Mongstad in Vestland county adjacent to Equinor's refinery. Founded in 2012 after approximately NOK 7 billion in construction investment, TCM provides large-scale testing infrastructure for amine-based solvents (MEA, CESAR1), chilled ammonia processes, and — since 2021 — emerging technologies including membranes and adsorbents through its Site for Emerging Technologies (SET). The facility draws on two industrial flue gas sources (a Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker at 13-15% CO2 and the Mongstad Heat Plant at 8-9% CO2) enabling simulation of emissions from cement, steel, refining, and waste-to-energy industries, with capacity to capture up to 100,000 tons of CO2 annually.

TCM serves three primary customer groups: technology developers seeking independent verification of capture technologies ahead of commercial deployment (clients have included Aker/SLB Capturi, Shell Cansolv, Carbon Clean, Fluor, Honeywell, ION Clean Energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, RTI, and Svante); industrial emitters and project developers requiring advisory services for CCS projects (including Hafslund Celsio and Heidelberg Materials); and research institutions (SINTEF, NTNU, MIT, Imperial College London, DTU, University of Texas at Austin) collaborating on scientific studies. Revenue is derived from a mix of Norwegian state funding via Gassnova (primary contributor), EU project funding (AURORA, ACCSESS, MOF4AIR), test campaign participation fees (e.g., USD 100,000 per sector for CESAR1 benchmarking), and advisory service fees, with joint consulting delivered alongside SINTEF and DNV across the CCS value chain.

Ownership is held by the Norwegian State through Gassnova (43.6%), Equinor (28.2%, also facility operator), and TotalEnergies (28.2%) under a fifth ownership period secured through end of 2027 after Shell's 2025 departure. The organization operates with approximately 60 employees, has completed 28 large-scale test campaigns supporting 17 capture technologies across more than 70,000 hours of operational experience, and has published over 70 scientific papers. TCM is transitioning from a primarily state-funded research mandate toward a more commercially driven model reliant on facility-user revenue, with new offerings such as the CESAR1 Sector Benchmarking Campaign launching in Q4 2026.

Name

Technology Centre Mongstad

Legal name

Technology Centre Mongstad DA (TCM DA)

Website

https://tcmda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Technology Centre Mongstad operates the world's largest open-access test facility for post-combustion CO2 capture, serving technology developers, industrial emitters, and research institutions with large-scale solvent and emerging-technology testing plus CCS advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Capture Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) & Stack Testing (EUAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Waste Heat Recovery & Heat Integration (HRSG/ORC, Pinch Analysis, Heat Exchangers) (EUABAJAF)

Keywords

• CO2 capture testing
• Carbon capture research
• Post-combustion capture
• CCS advisory services
• Emissions monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Porsgrunn

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Norwegian state has been the primary contributor throughout TCM's operation since 2012. The continuation of operations requires a stronger commercial focus, relying increasingly on revenue from facility users.
2. Test Campaign Fees: Technology companies pay participation fees for testing campaigns at the facility. The CESAR1 CCS Benchmarking Campaign charges USD 100,000 per sector (excluding VAT) which includes full access to results and engagement activities.
3. Advisory Services: TCM provides consultancy services to carbon capture projects globally, offering quality assurance for technology procurement frameworks, helping clients select cost-effective solutions and manage projects safely and cost-effectively.
4. EU Project Funding: TCM participates in EU-funded projects including AURORA (EU Horizon Europe, approximately NOK 200 million total budget), ACCSESS, and MOF4AIR which provide funding for testing and research activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) operates the world's largest and most flexible open test centre for CO2 capture technologies, providing large-scale validation services for post-combustion capture solutions. Its core facilities include an Amine Plant (testing MEA and CESAR1 solvents), a Chilled Ammonia Plant, and the Site for Emerging Technologies (SET) for membranes and adsorbents. TCM complements physical testing with advisory services spanning technology evaluation, emission monitoring, flue gas characterization, solvent and waste handling, and preliminary design and cost estimations, serving technology developers, industrial emitters, and research institutions worldwide.

Product overview

Technology Centre Mongstad operates as the world's largest and most flexible open test centre for CO2 capture technologies, offering a platform of testing facilities and advisory services. The core offering consists of three testing units: the Amine Plant (using MEA and CESAR1 solvents), the Chilled Ammonia Plant, and the Site for Emerging Technologies (SET) for novel technologies like membranes and adsorbents. These are complemented by advisory consulting services and knowledge-sharing programs that leverage 13+ years of operational data and over 70 scientific publications. TCM provides full-scale testing capabilities using two industrial flue gas sources (CHP at 8-9% CO2 and RFCC refinery at 13-15% CO2), enabling simulation of emissions from cement, steel, waste management, and oil refining industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Amine Plant Testing Large-scale post-combustion CO2 capture testing using aqueous amine-based solvents (MEA and CESAR1). The amine plant was developed by Aker Clean Carbon (now part of SLB Capturi / Aker Solutions) and offers generic capabilities for testing capture technologies with configurable flue gas sources for technology developers, industrial emitters, and research institutions.
• Chilled Ammonia Plant Testing CO2 capture testing using chilled ammonia process technology, developed and licensed by former Alstom (now General Electric / Baker Hughes). Uses ammonia-based solvent for chemical absorption of CO2 at TCM's Mongstad facility.
• Site for Emerging Technologies (SET) Modular test facility for novel carbon capture technologies at lower maturity levels including membranes, adsorbents, and other state-of-the-art capture approaches. Five campaigns have been conducted, four of them under EU or U.S. DOE projects.
• CCS Advisory Services Consulting services for carbon capture projects including technology evaluation, emission monitoring, permit support, flue gas characterization, solvent and waste handling guidance, maintenance learnings, winterization, and preliminary design and cost estimations. Joint offerings with SINTEF and DNV for global capture, transport, and storage consulting.
• CESAR1 CCS Sector Benchmarking Campaign Consortium-based benchmarking programme that generates validated, large-scale datasets for the CESAR1 solvent under real industrial conditions across multiple industry sectors, with industry partners paying a USD 100,000 per-sector participation fee for full access to results and engagement activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 capture rates of 90-98% achieved with different solvents
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EquinorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Equinor holds 28.2% ownership of TCM and is the operator of the facility. The initiative to build TCM was taken by the Stoltenberg government in collaboration with former Statoil (now Equinor) in 2006. Equinor provides flue gas from its refinery at Mongstad for testing purposes.
• SINTEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SINTEF leads the EU-funded AURORA project which aims to qualify CESAR1 for commercial use. SINTEF is one of Europe's largest independent research institutes with a broad portfolio within CCS R&D. TCM collaborates with SINTEF on joint global consulting services on carbon capture, transport and storage.
• DNVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNV has a global presence and is a highly acknowledged certification body with well-established and standardized technology qualification programs. Together with SINTEF and TCM, they offer joint global consulting services on capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide.
• International Test Center Network (ITCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITCN was initiated by TCM in 2012 to enable knowledge sharing between CO2-technology test centers globally.
• Academic Partners (NTNU, MIT, Imperial College, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCM collaborates with universities and research institutions including Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Imperial College London, MIT, University of Oslo, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), University of Texas at Austin, CNRS, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), NETL, and University of Bergen.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Carbon Capture Center: US-based test center operated by Southern Company with similar mission: large-scale testing and validation of CO2 capture technologies for industrial and power applications. It is the closest functional peer to TCM in North America and serves as a direct alternative for technology developers seeking large-scale validation.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization operating CO2 capture pilot and testing programs for industrial applications. Functions as a European counterpart to TCM with similar R&D-to-pilot testing capabilities, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors.

Emerging players

• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute and TCM's core strategic partner. SINTEF leads the AURORA project, conducts CCS research, and jointly offers advisory services with TCM. Comparable in R&D capability and overlapping in customer base (industrial emitters, technology developers), though not a dedicated test facility.

Regional players

• CO2CRC (CO2 Cooperative Research Centre): Australian CCS research organization focused on CO2 storage and capture testing, member of ITCN alongside TCM. Operates primarily in the Australasian region and is comparable as an applied CCS testing/research entity with similar end-customer base.

Others

• DNV: Global certification and qualification body offering CCS consulting services. TCM partners with DNV on joint advisory offerings, but DNV operates independently as a standards body and consultancy rather than as a test facility, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant.
• SLB Capturi (formerly Aker Clean Carbon): Commercial provider of amine-based carbon capture solutions and TCM customer. While not a peer in the test-center sense, SLB Capturi is highly comparable as a downstream commercializer of capture technologies that TCM has validated at scale.
• Gassnova SF: Norwegian state-owned entity that represents the government's CCS interests and holds 43.6% of TCM. While not a direct operational peer, Gassnova is the policy/funding counterpart that defines Norway's CCS strategy and shapes TCM's mandate.
• Carbon Clean Solutions: Commercial provider of modular carbon capture technology (CycloneCC) that has tested at TCM's amine plant. Comparable as a downstream capture technology vendor that depends on TCM-style large-scale testing infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Global industrial conglomerate with proprietary CO2 capture (KM CDR Process) that tested at TCM. Comparable as a major CCS technology vendor, though MHI operates broadly across many industrial sectors rather than specializing in capture testing services.
• Honeywell UOP: Established process technology provider offering CO2 capture solutions, recently tested at TCM in 2024. Comparable as a major commercial capture technology provider with overlapping customer base of industrial emitters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TeknologisenterMongstad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/technology-centre-mongstad
• Xx.com/TCMCO

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Technology Centre Mongstad