Cleaner industry with carbon capture - the world’s first low cost industrial scale

An eco-friendly dual-manufacturing process

Originally opened in 1981, the chemical plant produces ammonium chloride fertilizer at its facilities, using waste CO₂ from the neighbouring fertilizer plant. As a producer of soda ash, the 10 MW facility also converts CO₂ into this vital ingredient for household cleaners, glass, and other products. Thanks to stringent controls, its soda ash has the highest quality rating in the industry.

“We use CO₂ as a raw material for soda ash production. When our previous supplier was no longer able to deliver the quantities we required, we tested several solutions and finally selected this process, which allows us to capture and reuse our own CO₂ gas. At this point, we capture 174 tonnes of CO₂ per day, or approximately 60,000 tonnes per year.”

Transition to CCU generates energy savings and reduced costs

Faced with the challenge of reducing CO₂ emissions to the levels required by the Paris Agreement, heavy industries are embracing CCU technology at an ever-increasing rate. Most commonly, CO₂ is removed from flue gases and process streams using a solvent-based absorption/stripping system, which requires several cooling, heating, condensing, and reboiling steps – all of which use large quantities of energy.

Alfa Laval’s broad portfolio of highly efficient gasketed plate heat exchangers (GPHEs) are designed to meet the energy-intensive demands of CCU applications. The plate heat exchangers are saving energy, reducing costs, making the process more compact and commercially viable, as depicted in the illustration below.

A cleaner solvent for a sustainable process

Compared with amine, the chemical most used in carbon capture processes, the solvent the chemical plant works with is more efficient, less expensive, and less corrosive. A 5-month pilot test in Norway showed that it captured more than 25,000 tonnes of CO₂, while demonstrating solvent emissions of only parts per billion, compared with parts per million for traditional solvents. Aerosol emissions were 80 % lower than the permissible limit.

Adding to the benefits of this technology, Alfa Laval’s gasketed plate heat exchangers are engineered for superior reliability and performance under challenging conditions, while requiring less energy and space. They offer significantly higher thermal efficiency than traditional shell-and-tube solutions, in a compact design that is easy to install and service, making them a perfect fit for these installations.

Making CO₂ capture more efficient

In addition to highly efficient heat exchangers, Alfa Laval offers the broadest range of gaskets on the market, capable of withstanding the solvents used in the absorption process. Alfa Laval solutions minimize the need for energy and cooling water, while simultaneously maximizing the efficiency of the CO₂ capture, and reducing the cost of running other processing equipment.

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