Clariant has praised the recent ratifications of the Paris Agreement stating the parties' endorsements of the climate deal is a major step towards reducing emissions.
Clariant has been developing N2O abatement technologies for over 10 years. The company is partnered with Uhde (now TKIS) to provide tertiary N2O abatement solutions at more than 25 nitric acid production plants globally. Combined, the installations reduce N2O emissions equivalent to approximately 15 million tpy of CO2 (carbon dioxide). This is especially significant as N2O poses a 300-fold impact on greenhouse gas emissions compared to CO2.
The secondary catalyst EnviCat N2O-S can be easily installed in existing nitric acid plants without revamping the facility, and converts the majority of N2O generated into harmless nitrogen and oxygen. At the same time, the catalyst reduces NH3 (ammonia) requirements for the same amount of nitric acid production, thus considerably lowering operating costs. These performance benefits were recently demonstrated at the Huayang Dier nitric acid plant in China.
Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President & General Manager Business Unit Catalysts at Clariant, stated: "Clariant strives to set new benchmarks by applying sustainable, leading-edge technologies to improve ecological standards. The bi-functional performance of our EnviCat N2O-S catalyst is unique in the industry, and successfully combines environmental and economic benefits."
Following the climate agreement, industrial producers will have to observe stricter regulations.