Ingvild Ombudstvedt is the new chair of Standard Norway’s CCS committee

Norwegian experts in carbon capture and storage (CCS) play an active role in the development of international standards. – CCS is crucial for achieving the climate goals, and standards are crucial for CCS to work, says newly elected committee chair Ingvild Ombudstvedt.

– The world is fighting against the clock to slow down climate change. Overwhelming research indicates that CCS is crucial in reducing global emissions. Standards provide predictability in the value chain and reduce the cost level for an otherwise costly industry, says Ombudstvedt.

She also points out that standards play an important role in the legal framework for a relatively recent industry such as carbon capture and storage.

-In countries such as Norway, with an already comprehensive framework, standards close gaps in the law and regulations. Countries that lack framework for this industry can build regulations for CCS around the standards. There is also a lot of information in the technical reports from iso, which can contribute to the development of both framework and value chains, she says.

Long experience

Ombudstvedt is an economist and lawyer, and has worked on issues related to carbon capture and storage since she started as an Associate/junior lawyer ten years ago. For the past five years, she has run her own company, IOM Law, which focuses fully on ccs and other activities related to the removal and use of CO2.

She has been involved in the development of standards since she joined Standard Norway’s committee for CO2 capture and storage in 2014 (SN / K 544). The committee follows international standardization within CO2 capture, transport and storage in the international standardization committee ISO / TC 265.

Carbon transport on ships

The Norwegian committee has been active since 2011 and contributed to the development of a number of standards for the entire CCS value chain. These standards have, among other things, been used in the Norwegian CCS initiative in the Longship project, and are referred to in Norwegian CCS regulations.

Ombudstvedt takes over the leadership position from Niels Peter Christensen from CCS Consult, who has been the leader since its establishment in 2011.

– I am lucky to take over a well-functioning committee with many active members. The next major project is CO2 transport on ships, where standards are in demand by industry. ISO has initiated a process to create a separate working group under ISO / TC 265 for this work. The working group will have Norwegian leadership and our Norwegian committee will contribute greatly to this working group, says Ombudstvedt.t.