Instalco in carbon capture project

Instalco company Nordpipe Composite Engineering (NCE) of Jakobstad-­Pietarsaari, Finland, specialises in production and installation of composite solutions for industry. In an ongoing project the company is delivering advanced systems for flue gas cleaning and carbon capture to a facility in London.

As part of the energy recovery project in Edmonton, north London, NCE is delivering two scrubbers, the function of which is to cool and clean smoke and flue gases before transporting them onwards. The flue gases enter the scrubber at a temperature of up to 165 degrees and are cooled to around 80 degrees. The gas can also be converted into energy that can then be used for heating, for example in the form of district heating. 

As well as scrubbers, NCE is also building ducts and pipe systems for the energy recovery plant in collaboration with the Swiss–Japanese company Hitachi Zosen Inova, the main technical contractor for the project. The project is being managed and developed by the Spanish conglomerate Acciona, with NCE in turn supplying key components in the multinational constellation. 

Facility in London
“In this project we’ve been contracted to manufacture and supply a flue gas cleaning system in the form of two scrubbers with associated pipe systems and ducts. The products are absolutely central to what will be a carbon capture system at the facility in London,” explains Dan Björkskog, CEO of NCE.

“A lot of work has gone into this project, as every product we make is fully customised. We got the order at the end of 2022 and have spent time in 2023 on careful planning, calculations and design, so as to be able to make the final delivery in spring 2024.”

NCE designs, manufactures and installs composite solutions for industries that have processes involving aggressive corrosion, high pressure, high temperatures or significant erosion. The chemical-resistant composite has high durability and a long useful life. Construction takes place at the facility in Jakobstad-Pietarsaari before the composite solutions are shipped to the end customer. Water treatment and flue gas cleaning make up one of NCE’s largest market areas.

Durable in harsh environments
“The composite is a kind of high-quality glass fibre-reinforced plastic and is highly durable compared with metal, particularly in harsh environments such as these. Often we’re responsible for system design, production, delivery and installation. Sometimes we also make modifications if needed, saving the customer extensive renovation work in the future. We customise solutions in every project to meet the customer’s requirements,” says Dan Björkskog.

Installing and using a scrubber system is seen as the first step towards a complete carbon capture system for an industry.