Clariant EnviCat™ N2O-S catalyst reducing emissions at Sichuan Lutianhua nitric acid plant
Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, has announced that its EnviCat N2O-S nitrous abatement catalyst is performing successfully at Sichuan Lutianhua's nitric acid plant and is projected to reduce annual emissions by 275,000 tons (t) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) [1].
Sichuan Lutianhua is one of the winners of Clariant's 2021–2022 global Climate Campaign, which offered a free load of the catalyst to nitric acid producers lacking nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement technology. Located in Sichuan Province, China, the 135,000-tpy nitric acid plant started operating in 2009 with no N2O removal system in place.
Clariant's EnviCat N2O-S secondary N2O abatement catalyst system successfully installed in the ammonia oxidation burner at Sichuan Lutianhua's nitric acid plant.
Xaver Karsunke, Vice President of Clariant Specialty Catalysts, commented, "With China supporting crucial decarbonization efforts to combat climate change, we are proud to partner with Sichuan Lutianhua on reducing their carbon footprint through our innovative catalyst technology. Clariant's EnviCat solutions are empowering leading Chinese companies, like Sichuan Lutianhua, to efficiently cut emissions in hard-to-abate industrial sectors."
Sun Guang, Assistant General Manager at Sichuan Lutianhua, added, “Our company is committed to sustainable practices and reducing our environmental impact. Partnering with Clariant to install the EnviCat N2O-S catalyst is an important step towards achieving our emissions reduction goals. We have already measured a significant decrease in N2O emissions from our nitric acid production and look forward to continued positive results.”
Founded in 1959 and based in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, China, Sichuan Lutianhua Co. Ltd. is a leading producer of chemicals with significant capacities in ammonia, urea, methanol and dimethyl ether. Listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 1999, the company has advanced technological capabilities with a strong focus on research and development.
Nitric acid is essential for producing fertilizers. However, its production emits N2O, which is nearly 300 times more damaging to the climate than CO2. Adding to the problem, more than half of nitric acid producers do not remove N2O from their off-gas. Based on 66 MMtpy of nitric acid produced around the world[2], N2O emissions equal to approximately 100 MMtpy of CO2e[3].
The EnviCat N2O catalyst series presents an easy solution to this serious problem. Using the catalysts, N2O and other nitrogen oxides can be removed almost completely (up to 99% for tertiary abatement and 95% for secondary abatement) from production emissions. Moreover, the EnviCat N2O-S is easy to adopt as the catalysts can be installed in any state-of-the-art nitric acid plant without disrupting the production process. Well-established in the market for more than 20 years, EnviCat N2O catalysts are currently installed in over 50 plants globally.
The aim of Clariant’s Climate Campaign was to provide nitric acid producers around the world with an economical path to emission reduction. From November 2021 to March 2022, several winners were selected to receive a complimentary load of the EnviCat N2O-S catalyst.
[1] The methodology used by Clariant to calculate carbon reductions achieved by its customers is based on internationally recognized standards. The baseline for calculations is name plate capacity, defined conversion rate to N2O and GWP according to IPCC IV.
[2] IHS Market 2020
[3] Annual N2O emissions from nitric and adipic acid production. Source: IPCC, 5th AR, Working Group III Report “Climate Change 2014”
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