Syngas News

Syngas News

UNITED STATES

ExxonMobil awards contracts for blue hydrogen plant

ExxonMobil has awarded the contract for front-end engineering and design (FEED) of what it describes as the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen production facility. A final investment decision for the project is expected by 2024, subject to stakeholder support, regulatory permitting, and market conditions. Technip Energies will conduct the FEED for the Baytown integrated complex, which will produce up to 1 bcf/d of low carbon hydrogen, while capturing more than 98% of associated CO2 emissions, totalling around 7 million tCO2 e/year. Offtake agreements are reportedly under discussion with third party customers. Start-up is planned for 2027-2028. The carbon capture and storage network being developed for the project will also be made available for use by third-party CO2 emitters in the area in support of their decarbonisation efforts.

Topose has agreed to license its Syn-COR reforming technology for the project, with Honeywell UOP supplying carbon capture technology.

“This project allows us to offer significant volumes of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia to third party customers in support of their decarbonisation efforts,” said Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “In addition, the project is expected to enable up to a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our Baytown integrated complex, by switching from natural gas as a fuel source to low-carbon hydrogen.”

Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer, Topsoe, said: “We are very excited to support ExxonMobil with our unique technology. Once complete, this ambitious project will result in hydrogen that can be used for low-carbon fuels and chemicals to help meet global net zero targets. We are eager to start working with ExxonMobil and to enable the capturing of massive volumes of CO2 emissions from the hydrogen production.”

KP Engineering acquired by Shaw Group

KP Engineering (KPE), involved in the design and execution of customised EPC solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen, and renewable fuels industries, says it has completed its acquisition by The Shaw Group, a leader in global pipe and module fabrication. Going forward the company’s new legal name will be KP Shaw, LLC.

Shaw says that this strategic acquisition will further enable Shaw to deliver complete engineering, procurement, and fabrication (EPF) project solutions to a variety of industries around the world. William E. Preston, who will continue as the President and CEO of KP Shaw, LLC, added: “This acquisition serves to fulfil an urgent requirement for bankable EPF service capacity in the growing North American market. KPE enhances the services in Shaw’s already strong portfolio of offerings, which includes pipe, module, and structural steel fabrication, induction bending and specialty coating services. The integration of Shaw’s high-quality services will enable us to better meet the needs of our well-established customer base and will also provide us with fresh opportunities to engage with new customers on a global scale.”

UNITED KINGDOM

Metso Outotec faces litigation over waste-to-energy plants

Metso Outotec says that it is in legal proceedings with MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd in connection with three waste-to-energy plants in the United Kingdom. Prior to the Metso Outotec merger, Outotec supplied its gasification technology to these projects, which date back to 2015. MW has made various claims against Metso Outotec and Metso Outotec has significant counterclaims in the litigation, which commenced in 2019. In December 2022, Metso Outotec won the first judgment in the claim regarding a project in Hull and applied to the court for an interim payment of £6 million from MW. MW is now attempting to bring separate additional claims against Metso Outotec and, on February 9th, served an official claim with similar demands regarding a project in Surrey. In addition, Metso Outotec and MW are in an arbitration procedure regarding the third plant in the UK. Metso Outotec continues to reject MW’s claims in all three cases. Metso Outotec has reported the Waste-to-energy business as a discontinued operation since the merger and is no longer offering these solutions to its customers.

CHINA

Linde to build syngas plant for BASF

Linde Engineering has signed an agreement with BASF for the engineering, procurement and construction of a synthesis gas plant in Zhanjiang, China, in a consortium together with its Chinese partner East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd (ECEC). The two companies have previously worked together in the design and construction of several Rectisol® acid gas removal units in China. For the new BASF project Linde will be acting as consortium leader, including the provision of basic engineering and key equipment. ECEC will be responsible for the detailed design and the construction.

“Linde Engineering’s one-stop solution for BASF combines state-of-the-art technology with a comprehensive EPC execution package. Our long-standing relationship and understanding of our customers’ needs has enabled us to develop a tailor-made package of technology and services which will support their growth in China,” said John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering.

Start-up for new methanol plant

Chinese automaker Geely and resource company Henan Shuncheng Group say that they have started production at a new 110,000 t/a methanol plant at Anyang City in Henan province. Although the plant describes itself as a ‘green’ methanol plant, it in fact takes hydrogen off-gas from Shuncheng’s coke oven and carbon dioxide captured from industrial exhaust gas, with methanol produced using ‘emissions-to-liquids’ (ETL) technology from Icelandic company Carbon Recycling International (CRI).

DENMARK

Topsoe and Steeper Energy to provide waste to biofuels plants

Topsoe has signed a global licensing agreement with Steeper Energy for Steeper’s hydrofaction™ technology, used for converting biomass to renewable biocrude oil, enabling Topsoe to offer a complete waste-to-fuel solution for refineries, project developers, and industries having access to excess waste biomass. The end-products include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marine biofuel, and renewable diesel from waste biomass.

Hydrofaction or hydrothermal liquefaction applies supercritical water as a reaction medium for the conversion of biomass directly into a high-energy density renewable biocrude oil. Steeper’s process subjects wet biomass to heat and high pressure in process conditions chosen to promote reaction pathways that favour high yields of high-quality renewable oil. It is possible to convert up to 85% of incoming biomass on an energy basis, making it one of the most effective conversion technologies available.

Peter Vang Christensen, Senior Vice President, Clean Fuels & Chemicals – Technology, Topsoe, said:

“We are excited to work with Steeper and to combine our technological capabilities. This will make it easier for refineries and project developers to access the technology they need for advanced biofuels. It will also allow them to access new renewable feedstocks while supporting decarbonisation of the transportation sector, not least aviation and shipping.”

Technip to construct green fuels plant

Arcadia eFuels APS of Denmark has awarded a contract to Technip Energies to deliver frontend engineering and design (FEED) services on the operator’s proposal to build what it says would be the first-ever plant to produce carbon-neutral ‘electrofuels’ (eFuels), including a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) equivalent, using renewable electricity, water, and biogenic carbon dioxide.

Technip Energies will engineer a plant that will produce about 55,000 t/a of renewable kerosine, 25,000 t/a of renewable naphtha, and an unidentified volume of renewable diesel, all of which can respectively be blended up to 50% with conventional jet and road fuels to help the aviation and heavy transportation industries meet voluntary and regulatory carbon-reduction goals in line with the global energy transition, the service provider said. Technip Energies said its scope of delivery also includes engineering of an associated 250 MW electrolyzer for production of green hydrogen at the complex, which will be built at the port of Vordingborg, in the southern part of Zeeland, 100 km south of Copenhagen. The complex is scheduled for start-up in 2026.

Arcadia eFuels also confirmed its January 2022 award of a joint contract to Topsoe AS and Sasol Ltd. for delivery of preliminary engineering on the proposed plant, which will be based on the service providers’ integrated G2L eFuels technology. CO2 will be sourced either from biogenic carbon via carbon capture technology at a designated source, from direct air capture, or a combination of the two. Hydrogen produced from the electrolysis process will then be reacted with captured CO2 to produce syngas, as a feedstock to the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process. Hydrocarbons produced in the F-T process will be converted into eJet fuel, eDiesel, or a combination of both, along with smaller amounts of eNaphtha and eLPG. Topsoe’s SynCOR reforming technology will be used for converting methane-rich gas and oxygen to carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with Sasol providing its F-T process. Final hydroprocessing will use Topsoe technology, which breaks down, isomerizes, and saturates the long-chain molecules to produce designated end-products (e.g., jet fuel, diesel, naphtha).

INDIA

Green methanol plant

Danish-based Umwelt Energy says that it will invest $850 million in Tamil Nadu to build a green methanol plant in the state. Although the location has not been disclosed, land purchase has reportedly been completed. According to Saibaba Vutukuri, Managing Director, Umwelt Energy India, the plant will be able to produce 100,000 t/a of green methanol. It will be a fully integrated plant, starting from 500 MW of wind-solar hybrid generating capacity which will power electrolyser to produce green hydrogen. The green hydrogen will be reacted with carbon dioxide to form methanol.

SWEDEN

JM to supply license for blue methanol project

Johnson Matthey (JM) has been selected to provide the methanol license and engineering services for Perstorp Group’s Project Air in Stenungsund, Sweden. The plant will produce 200,000 t/a of sustainable methanol, avoiding the emission of 500,000 t/a of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 340,000 new cars running on fossil fuel. The initiative – which will substitute all the fossil methanol used by Perstorp in Europe as raw material for chemical products with sustainable methanol – is expected to be fully operational by 2026 and is a cooperation between Perstorp and Uniper.

The new plant will operate a first-of-akind carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) process at an industrial level – converting carbon dioxide emissions from Perstorp’s operations, together with biogas and renewable hydrogen to create sustainable methanol. The project has received e97 million funding from the European Union Innovation Fund which supports green technology projects in the EU, and approximately e30 million from the Swedish Energy Agency.

Alberto Giovanzana, Managing Director of Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Mat-they said: “The chemical industry has often depended on fossil-based raw materials to produce products. Moving away from fossil feedstock at the beginning of the value chain is crucial to reduce the overall carbon footprint of end products. Project Air demonstrates how JM’s Low Carbon Solutions technologies can create more sustainable chemicals on a large-scale, significantly reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing.”

Contract awarded for green methanol plant

Carbon Clean says it has been awarded the carbon capture equipment supply contract for Ørsted’s FlagshipONE methanol project in Sweden. The technology will capture 70,000 t/a of CO2 from a biomass-fired combined heat and power plant in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. FlagshipONE will combine the biogenic carbon dioxide with renewable hydrogen to produce 50,000 t/a of low carbon methanol for use in the shipping industry, which today accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions.

Aniruddha Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, said: “The FlagshipONE project not only demonstrates the role carbon capture must play in decarbonising hard-toabate sectors, such as shipping, but also that the technology is ready and there is absolute confidence in our ability to deliver at scale. We speak often about the storage of captured carbon, but this project is a perfect example of utilisation – the ‘U’ in CCUS – and we are thrilled to be working alongside Ørsted to deliver this project.”

The carbon capture plant will be modular and designed for ease of construction and future replication. Following off-site testing, modules will be transported and assembled on site in autumn 2024. FlagshipONE is expected to be operational in 2025. The carbon capture plant will use Carbon Clean’s proprietary CDRMax technology which has been used widely in projects globally for many years.

Construction approved for methanol powered icebreakers

Aker’s ARC 130 S design for the world’s first methanol-ready icebreaker has been finalised in conjunction with the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA), which is now evaluating shipyards which could construct the vessel. The decision to construct at least two new icebreakers for Sweden was made in December 2022. The first vessel is planned to be delivered in 2026 and the second about a year later. A shipyard to build the ships was expected to be chosen by the end of February 2023, after which requests for tenders will be issued. Dan Broström, project manager at SMA said that they aimed to sign a final agreement in September 2023 and begin construction preparations immediately afterwards. He added: “Currently, the plan is to build the icebreaker initially for fossil-free renewable diesel oil (hydrotreated vegetable oil; HVO) with readiness to adopt methanol fuel as soon as the technology has matured and fuel availability is secured. The harbour generators will use methanol-based MD97 fuel from the start.”

SPAIN

Cement off-gas to green methanol project

Mexican building materials company Cemex has signed an agreement with green fuel producer ETFuels to transform carbon emissions from Cemex’s Alicante cement plant in Spain into green methanol. Under the agreement, ETFuels will combine up to 450,000 t/a of captured CO2 with green hydrogen to produce sustainable fuel. Cemex is evaluating several strategies and partners to perform CO2 capture for this project. The fuel produced through this agreement is intended to be used in the shipping industry, with the goal of further reducing overall carbon emissions in the global supply chain.

“Our goal of reaching net-zero CO2 emissions is achievable and will be driven by collaboration and innovation,” said Fernando A. González, CEO of CEMEX. “Our decarbonisation roadmap includes reducing emissions to the lowest possible level through proven levers such as clinker substitution and alternative fuels. New levers, such as rapidly developing CCUS initiatives, must effectively tackle the remaining CO2 emissions to hit our ambitious 2050 objectives.”

“ETFuels is honored to work with the CEMEX team in our joint ambition for decarbonization of industry. This pioneering fuel production project combined with Carbon Capture and Utilization presents a scalable way to decarbonize supply chains and aligns fully with our vision to deliver energy transition at hyperscale with commercially viable solutions,” said Lara Naqushbandi, CEO of ETFuels.GERMANY

Conversion of CO2 using plasma reactors

Evonik has launched the PlasCO2 project together with three partners. The aim is to use carbon dioxide as a raw material in the production of C4 chemicals. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project with more than e1.8 million. PlasCO2 stands for ‘Plasma-induced generation of carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide and its chemical utilisation’. The researchers are working on extracting synthesis gas from carbon dioxide and hydrogen by means of a plasma reactor using a newly developed process. The synthesis gas obtained in this way can then be used for the production of chemical products. The project consortium, which is coordinated by Evonik, also includes the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT), the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research (INP), and Rafflenbeul Anlagen Bau GmbH.

“If we succeed in generating carbon dioxide as a raw material, we would not only make a significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint, but we would also open up a completely new world of chemistry,” said Professor Dr. Robert Franke, head of hydroformylation research at Evonik Performance Intermediates and coordinator of the PlasCO2 project.

CANADA

Blue methanol plant cancelled

Alberta-based Nauticol Energy Ltd. has confirmed it will not be moving forward with a proposed C$4 billion blue methanol plant near Grande Prairie in northwest Alberta. The plant would have created 3.4 million t/a methanol from natural gas. In 2021, Nauticol announced plans to add carbon-capture technology. Speaking to local media, Nauticol president and CEO Mark Tonner said that the pandemic had created “headwinds” for the project, and costs had doubled from the original C$2 billion estimate. He added that no final decision has been made on the future of the site, and that a scaled-down net-zero methanol plant might still be possible, focusing on domestic supply.