WEG supplies slip ring motor for carbon capture plant in Norway

Global motor manufacturer, WEG has supplied a slip ring motor for a major carbon capture project at a cement plant in Norway. As the first large-scale carbon capture facility for cement production in the world, it is estimated that this innovative project will capture around 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year from 2024 – half of the plant’s overall emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions are a global concern and worldwide, we now emit over 34 billion tonnes per year. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if we are to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement, removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere must become a fundamental part of our decarbonisation strategy – alongside measures to reduce emissions.

Companies around the world are making an effort to reduce emissions and implement new strategies to manufacture more sustainably. WEG’s strong track record in slip ring motor manufacturing along with the company’s clear focus on sustainability, were essential in winning the contract for this project.

The main compressor of the plant will be driven by a WEG slip ring motor. The model selected for this application was the water-cooled MAW line 800 casing motor with a rated power of 10,400 kW and voltage of 10 kV, operating at 1,500 rpm. The captured gas will be compressed and then liquefied for underground storage.

The original design required direct-on-grid (DOL) starting motors, but this option was not feasible due to the weak power supply network at the site. A variable frequency drive (VFD) solution could have been another choice, but the WEG slip ring motor with brush lifting device was more cost-effective in this case, as it uses a liquid rheostat to smoothly accelerate the motor.

“At WEG, we’re committed to contributing to the net zero agenda to achieve a greener future,” explained Marek Lukaszczyk, marketing manager for Europe and the Middle East at WEG. “We continuously seek to improve industrial processes, resulting in a reduced environmental impact. In a world grappling with over 34 billion tonnes of annual CO2 emissions, opting for an energy efficient WEG motor is more than just a technical choice – it's a contribution to the global effort for a sustainable tomorrow.”

Having long surpassed the latest energy regulations and operated to the principles of the Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), WEG is continuing to improve its own green manufacturing processes. The company has long committed to these goals, ensuring sustainable access to energy and maintaining sustainable production standards at its manufacturing facilities.

This is championed by WEG’s Energy Efficiency Program, developed to reduce electricity consumption at its plants. The program has been implemented at several of the company’s production sites in Brazil, with ISO50001 being attained.