EBN selects Gradyent for unique CCS software model for Porthos

Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) has selected Gradyent to integrate, manage and maintain a unique CCS software model developed by EBN itself for the Porthos project. In the European tender procedure, this Dutch software company emerged as the best candidate.

CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage, or capturing CO ₂ , transporting it and then safely storing it in depleted gas fields or aquifers under the North Sea) is essential for achieving the climate goals in 2030. Porthos, a collaboration between EBN, Gasunie and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, is the first large-scale CO ₂ transport and storage project in the Netherlands that is currently being constructed. The project is expected to become operational in 2026.

Safety

Safety is always paramount in all energy activities in which EBN is involved. Since Porthos is the first CCS project and the safety requirements are very high, it was necessary to have a software model that can follow the entire system, from emitter to storage, and simulate the behavior of the CO ₂ molecules throughout the entire chain. After an extensive market consultation, EBN had to conclude that there was no suitable existing integral process or software model that met the high safety and technical requirements. Or it was only applicable for a specific part of the chain. Precisely because of the complexity of the entire chain and the specifications of CO ₂ , being able to predict is crucial for guaranteeing the safety margins. That is why at EBN, where gathering and sharing knowledge is one of the pillars of the strategy and DNA, a unique 'end-to-end' model for Porthos was created.

The model is based on Calysto software developed by ourselves. After more than a year of building, the custom-made model for Porthos was ready. The name is therefore Calysto Porthos. Calysto has the potential to create such a type of tool for other, future CCS projects.

Yolande Verbeek, COO and interim Business Unit Director CCS, EBN: “It is a milestone for EBN to be able to announce Calysto Porthos. At EBN, we spend a lot of time and energy on research, building up knowledge of the subsurface and monitoring tools. The more you know, the safer a process becomes. _CO2 has a specific behavior. Predicting is crucial here. Porthos is also complex because of its scale. After all, it includes more than 50 kilometers of pipeline on land and at sea from the start of the system, after which the _CO2 then goes via 4 wells, each longer than 4 kilometers, to a depleted natural gas reservoir with a storage capacity of 37 million tons of _CO2 . And this reservoir is located at a depth of 3 to 4 kilometers under the North Sea floor. I am therefore pleased to see that we have found the party in Gradyent that will implement and maintain this model within Porthos.”