EBN chooses 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 CO₂, 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 CO₂ transport and storage project in the Netherlands that is currently being constructed. The project is expected to become operational in 2026.

Safety

Safety is paramount at all times 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 track the entire system, i.e. from emitter to storage, and simulate the behaviour of the CO₂ molecules throughout the chain. After an extensive market consultation, EBN had to conclude that there was no suitable existing integrated process or software model that met the high safety and technical requirements. Or it could only be applied to a specific part of the chain. Because of the complexity of the entire chain and the specifications of CO₂, being able to predict is crucial for guaranteeing 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 has been created for Porthos.

The model is based on Calysto software developed by EBN in house. After more than a year of construction, 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 as well.

Yolande Verbeek, COO and interim Business Unit Director CCS, EBN: “It is a milestone for EBN to be able to announce Calysto Porthos. As 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 more secure a process becomes. CO₂ has a specific behavior. Prediction is crucial here. Porthos is also complex because of its scale. From the start of the system, it includes more than 50 kilometers of pipeline on land and at sea, 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 tonnes of CO₂. And this reservoir is located at a depth of 3 to 4 kilometers below the North Sea bed. I am therefore pleased to see that we have found the party in Gradyent that will implement and maintain this model within Porthos.”