Clariant announced on December 11 that its EnviCat N2O-S nitrous oxide reduction catalyst has been successfully operated in Sichuan Lutianhua's nitric acid production facility. It is expected to reduce emissions by 275,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. Sichuan Lutianhua is one of the selected companies in Clariant's 2021-2022 global "Climate Protection Action" project. The initiative aims to provide a free batch of N2O reduction catalysts to nitric acid producers who have not yet implemented N2O reduction technology. The nitric acid plant, located in Sichuan Province, has an annual design capacity of 135,000 tons and was commissioned in 2009, but did not have a nitrous oxide removal system at the time.
Clariant’s EnviCat N2O-S two-stage nitrous oxide reduction catalyst system has been successfully loaded into the ammonia oxidation furnace at the nitric acid workshop of Sichuan Lutianhua.
Xaver Karsunke, Global Vice President of Clariant's Specialty Catalysts Division, stated: "China is actively addressing climate change, and advancing decarbonization measures is critical. We are honored to work with Sichuan Lutianhua to reduce their carbon footprint using Clariant's innovative catalyst technology. Clariant's EnviCat solutions help leading Chinese companies like Sichuan Lutianhua achieve efficient emission reductions in industrial sectors where reductions are challenging."
Assistant General Manager of Sichuan Lutianhua, Sun Guang, added: "Lutianhua has long been committed to sustainable development and reducing its environmental impact. Partnering with Clariant to use the EnviCat N2O-S catalyst is an important step toward achieving our emission reduction goals. We have already observed a significant reduction in nitrous oxide emissions at our nitric acid production facility and look forward to continuing to achieve positive results."
Nitric acid is an important raw material required for fertilizer production. However, during its production, nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted, and this gas is nearly 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. Even more concerning is that more than half of global nitric acid producers have yet to implement effective measures to remove nitrous oxide from exhaust gases. With a global annual nitric acid production of 66 million tons, the N2O emissions from its production process contribute to a greenhouse effect equivalent to over 100 million tons of CO2 equivalent each year.
The EnviCat N2O series of catalyst solutions provide a simple and effective response to this severe challenge. By using the EnviCat N2O series of catalysts, almost complete reductions of N2O and other nitrogen oxides can be achieved (up to 99% in the three-stage reduction, and up to 95% in the two-stage reduction). Furthermore, this solution is easy to implement, as the catalyst can be loaded into any advanced nitric acid production facility without affecting the production process. EnviCat N2O has been on the market for over 20 years and is successfully used by more than 50 plants worldwide.
Clariant's EnviCat N2O-S emission control catalyst was recently successfully loaded into the 135,000 tonnes/year nitric acid unit of Sichuan Lutianhua Co., Ltd.
The global "Climate Protection Action" project initiated by Clariant aims to provide cost-effective emission reduction solutions to nitric acid producers around the world. From November 2021 to March 2022, Clariant selected several companies and provided them with a free batch of EnviCat N2O-S catalysts.
Helping customers achieve N2O emission reductions is one of Clariant's broader efforts to support industries in their energy transition. This includes assisting hard-to-decarbonize sectors in achieving decarbonization, promoting the development of the hydrogen economy, and advancing the use of renewable energy. In 2023 alone, Clariant's catalysts helped customers avoid the equivalent of 40 million tons of CO2 emissions.
