Turning captured CO₂ into a usable resource: KSB Magnochem D at Rakkestad CCU

In Rakkestad, Norway, Carbon Centric has been operating its CCU plant at Østfold Energi’s waste-to-energy facility since September 2025, capturing CO₂ from waste incineration and processing it into food-grade liquid CO₂. With an annual capture capacity of approximately 10,000 tonnes, the project serves both as a working CCU facility and as an important demonstrator for future carbon capture projects.

As part of the plant’s process, captured liquefied CO₂ has to be transferred safely and reliably. For this task, KSB supplied a Magnochem D pump. 

The Rakkestad project is part of Carbon Centric’s broader ambition to advance modular CCUS solutions and build a scalable value chain for carbon removal from decentralised biogenic sources. The plant also provides valuable operational experience that can be transferred to other projects in the company’s portfolio.

Carbon Centric AS is a Norwegian CCUS company founded in 2021. The company focusses on carbon capture, utilisation and storage solutions, matching CO₂ projects with suitable off-takers or storage facilities. In Rakkestad, the captured CO₂ is delivered as food-grade liquid CO₂ to a large industrial gas company.

Most of Carbon Centric’s portfolio is based on post-combustion carbon capture from sources with a high biogenic content, such as waste wood and non-recyclable biomass. Combined with permanent geological storage, these projects can enable measurable and permanent carbon dioxide removals.

Handling liquefied CO₂ places specific demands on pump selection. In this application, special attention had to be paid to hydraulic selection and the materials used for the containment shroud. The aim was to avoid unwanted CO₂ vaporisation and prevent possible damage to the pump and the process.

In addition, the medium had to remain suitable for food-grade service. This required components that comply with the relevant requirements for food-quality applications, including components complying with FDA certifications.

For this demanding application, the KSB Magnochem D provided the decisive technical solution. Used for the operation with liquefied CO₂, the pump configuration was selected to ensure safe and reliable transfer while addressing the specific challenges of the medium – from hydraulic performance and reduced heat input to food-grade compatibility.

At the heart of the configuration is the Magnochem’s seal-less magnetic drive design. Instead of a conventional shaft seal, the drive torque is transmitted magnetically. For Rakkestad, this was combined with a ceramic containment shroud, reducing heat losses and vaporization risks of CO₂ inside the pump. In addition, the ceramic shroud optimizes the torque transfer between motor and pump, maximizing the equipment efficiency, reduces power consumption and increases energy savings.

This combination enabled KSB to provide a pump solution tailored to a demanding new CCUS application. Thanks to KSB's expertise on handling low boiling fluids within chemical and industrial processes, the solution was selected to ensure safe and reliable transfer while addressing the specific challenges of the medium. And the right material selection is also critical for the service. The pump hydraulics are all manufactured in high-grade stainless steel, ensuring the resistance against CO₂ corrosive properties for a long lifetime. So KSB supports every operator to maximize the plant performance, reduce life-cycle costs and minimize downtimes through reliable technologies.