Low carbon technology developer Topsoe has been selected by Essar Oil UK (Essar) to provide technology to its £360m ($458m) carbon capture facility in North West England.
As one of a number of licensed solutions supporting Essar’s plant, Topsoe’s SNOX technology will enable the removal of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust and other contaminants from the flue gas emitted at Essar’s Stanlow refinery.
According to the company, its carbon capture facility will be operational by 2028 and could eliminate around one million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.
Once captured, the CO2 will be permanently stored in depleted gas fields under the sea in Liverpool Bay.
Commenting on the deal, Elena Scaltritti, CCO at Topsoe, said, “The agreement represents a landmark step for Topsoe’s development in the UK, and we look forward to working with Essar on this important project, which is a great example of how the fossil industry can decarbonise itself.”
The company’s SNOX technology helps refineries, power plants, and carbon black manufacture to remove contaminants from flue gases.
Working without generating any waste or ocean discharge, the process recovers sulphur in the form of commercial grade concentrated sulphuric acid, which can be further utilised.
Essar sees the project as a move into the next phase of its decarbonisation strategy, said Deepak Maheshwari, CEO of Essar Oil UK.
“With an investment of $1.2 bn, Essar Oil UK is positioned to be the world’s first low carbon refinery. The industrial carbon capture facility, combined with our upcoming hydrogen fuel switching project, will reduce the refinery’s CO2 emissions by 95%.”
The oil firm is targeting a 95% cut in emissions by 2030 through energy efficiency, carbon capture and fuel switching to deliver a 12.5% reduction of the North West’s overall regional carbon emissions.
The UK’s focus on industrial fuel switching has been advanced through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, which provides up to £210m ($267m) – matched by £261m ($332m) from industry – to invest in developing technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen fuel switching.
source:gasworld.com