Delegates of the 69th IEAGHG Executive Committee Meeting (ExCo69) gather for a group photo during the site visit to the Brevik Cement Plant. (Photo by IEAGHG)

Oslo, Norway, 2026 – The 69th Executive Committee (ExCo69) Meeting of the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG) brought together member organizations to review ongoing research, discuss advancements in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, and strengthen international collaboration.

Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) has been a member of IEAGHG since 2018 and has remained actively engaged in the latest developments related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), and other carbon emission reduction technologies for the industrial sector.

Notably, ITB is the only university represented in IEAGHG and the only member from a developing country. Most IEAGHG members are from developed nations, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

The ExCo69 meeting is in progress at the Research Council of Norway, Oslo. (Photo by Aqsha)

The Executive Committee Meeting is held twice each year. The 69th meeting took place in Oslo, Norway, with the committee sessions held on 6–7 May 2026, followed by a technical site visit to Brevik CCS at Heidelberg Materials on 8 May 2026.

This meeting continued discussions from the previous Executive Committee Meeting held in the United States. Participation in ExCo69 aligns with ITB’s efforts to strengthen its role as Indonesia’s center of excellence for CCS and CCUS. The meeting covered key topics including technical research development, CO₂ infrastructure financing, transport and storage networks, pressure interference in geological storage, multi-user CCS network contracts, and global CCS/CCUS collaboration initiatives.

Aqsha, Ph.D., a lecturer in Bioenergy and Chemurgy Engineering at ITB and a CCS expert at the ITB Center of Excellence for CCS and CCUS, represented the university at ExCo69.

His participation aimed to contribute to discussions on IEAGHG’s technical programs, strengthen international CCS/CCUS partnerships, and gain insights into the industrial-scale implementation of CCS technology in the cement industry.

Delegates of the 69th IEAGHG Executive Committee Meeting in Oslo. (Photo: Aqsha)

The first two days of the program consisted of committee meetings held at the Research Council of Norway. On the third day, participants visited the Brevik CCS facility operated by Heidelberg Materials.

The visit to Brevik CCS provided one of the world’s most tangible examples of large-scale carbon capture implementation in the cement sector. As part of Norway’s Longship project, Brevik CCS is the first industrial-scale carbon capture facility integrated into a cement plant. According to publicly available information, the facility is designed to capture approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to around 50% of the plant’s total emissions. The captured CO₂ is liquefied, temporarily stored, transported by ship to the Northern Lights terminal in Øygarden, and permanently stored beneath the North Sea.

The Brevik cement plant and its CCS facility overlooking Eidangerfjord. (Photo by Heidelberg Materials Media Kit)

The Brevik CCS project serves as an important reference for the decarbonization of Indonesia’s cement industry, where a significant proportion of emissions originate from the calcination process—a source of emissions that cannot be substantially reduced through energy efficiency improvements or fuel substitution alone.

Participation in ExCo69 also reinforces ITB’s position as Indonesia’s leading center of expertise in CCS and CCUS. Discussions during the meeting addressed a wide range of strategic issues, including technical study development, CO₂ infrastructure financing, transport and storage networks, pressure interference in geological storage, multi-user CCS network agreements, and the expansion of global CCS/CCUS collaboration.

ExCo69 participants and members of the international CCS/CCUS network in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by IEAGHG)

Participation in the IEAGHG ExCo69 Meeting and the technical visit to Brevik CCS provided significant strategic benefits for both ITB and Indonesia. While ExCo69 offered valuable insights into the latest developments in global CCS/CCUS science, technology, and policy, the Brevik CCS facility demonstrated a successful real-world application of carbon capture technology in the cement industry. The knowledge and international partnerships established through this event are expected to support Indonesia’s ongoing efforts toward industrial decarbonization and the broader implementation of CCS/CCUS technologies.