Saipem and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have signed an agreement for post-combustion carbon capture. It is a General License Agreement enabling Saipem to deploy Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ advanced post-combustion CO2 capture technologies in the execution of large-scale projects. These technologies are “KM CDR ProcessTM” and “Advanced KM CDR ProcessTM” jointly developed with The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.

Post-combustion CO2 capture is aimed at removing carbon dioxide to reduce the CO2 footprint of emitting industrial large plants. Carbon dioxide is captured through absorption processes, capturing CO2 for further processing or storage.

Saipem has had a cooperative relationship with MHI for many years relating to Saipem’s SnamprogettiTM Urea Technology for the realization of world-class fertilizer plants. This agreement harnesses the complementary capabilities of both companies providing a unique combination of technological know-how and project EPC execution expertise to provide customers with low-emission solutions for the achievement of Net-Zero targets.

Fabrizio Botta, Saipem's Chief Commercial Officer, commented: “This agreement, signed with a key partner such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, allows Saipem to combine its expertise and track-record in designing and building Upstream, Mid-stream and Downstream facilities with the most advanced post-combustion technology for large plants. This enables Saipem to further consolidate its position and expand its portfolio of solutions in the decarbonisation sector”.

Kenji Terasawa, CEO and Head of Engineering Solutions said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Saipem, with whom we have had a longstanding relationship in other fields, in the CO2 capture business. With this agreement, we would like to collaborate with Saipem for numerous projects in Europe and the Middle East etc., to lead a global CCUS market growth as an innovative solutions provider. We will accelerate the CO2 capture business and create CCUS value-chain in order to achieve a carbon neutral society”.

About Saipem

Saipem is a leading company in the engineering, drilling and construction of major projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors, both offshore and onshore. Saipem is “one company” organized into five business lines - Asset Based, Energy Carriers, Offshore Wind, Sustainable Infrastructures, Robotics & Industrialized Solutions. The company has 9 fabrication yards and an offshore fleet of 29 construction vessels (of which 26 owned and 3 owned by third parties and managed by Saipem) and 13 drilling rigs, of which 9 owned. Always oriented towards technological innovation, Saipem is now committed to supporting its customers to accompany them on the energy transition path and Net Zero with increasingly digital means, technologies and processes geared towards environmental sustainability. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, it is present in over 70 countries around the world and employs over 30,000 people of 130 nationalities.

About MHI Group’s CO2 capture technologies

MHI has been developing the KM CDR Process™ (Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery Process) and Advanced KM CDR Process™ in collaboration with Kansai Electric Power since 1990. As of April 2023, the Company has delivered 15 plants adopting the KM CDR Process™, and three more are currently under construction. The Advanced KM CDR Process™ uses KS-21™, which incorporates technological improvements over the amine-based KS-1™ solvent adopted at all 15 of the commercial CO2 capture plants MHI has delivered to date. The advanced version offers superior regeneration efficiency and lower deterioration than the KS-1™, and it has been verified to provide excellent energy saving performance, reduce operating costs, and result in low amine emissions.