Page 168 - CW E-Magazine (16-4-2024)

News from Abroad

CARBON DIOXIDE UTILISATION
Technip Energies and LanzaTech move closer to getting

US Govt. funds for decarbonised ethylene facility

French engineering and technology and is often called the “world’s most ble, breakthrough solution with Tech-
company Technip Energies and US- important chemical”. This new joint nip Energies that creates high-quality
based carbon capture and utilisation technology will be developed in the jobs and supports local communities
specialist LanzaTech have been selec- US for integration directly into existing for a just energy transition.”
ted by the US Department of Energy commercial ethylene crackers, whereby
(DoE) to begin award negotiations for it will capture CO emissions from the If awarded, up to $200-mn is
2
up to $200-mn in Bipartisan Infrastruc- process and convert them into sustain- expected to fund the design, engineering,
ture Law and Inflation Reduction Act able ethylene. construction, and equipment for a com-
(IRA) funding as part of the Industrial mercial-scale integrated technology
Demonstrations Program (IDP). Mr. Arnaud Pieton, CEO, Technip unit in the US. Leveraging Technip
Energies, stated, “We are extremely Energies’ industry expertise, this integra-
The project SECURE – Sustainable proud to have been selected by the DoE ted solution has significant replication
Ethylene from CO Utilisation with for this significant award consideration. potential for ethylene crackers world-
2
Renewable Energy – aims to develop a Together with LanzaTech, our plan is to wide. Globally, there are an estimated
transformational technology to produce fully test and develop this breakthrough 370 ethylene steam crackers, over 40%
sustainable ethylene from captured technology, at scale, in an actual plant, of which use Technip Energies’ tech-
carbon dioxide (CO ). Technip Ener- which can then be replicated in other nology, including eight in the US.
2
gies and LanzaTech announced their facilities. Carbon utilisation and the
collaboration agreement to create this ability to decarbonise ethylene will The SECURE project was selected
new pathway to sustainable ethylene have a significant impact on the chemi- as one of 33 projects across more than 20
at commercial scale in July 2023. With cals industry’s emissions abatement, States to receive up to a total of $6-bn to
a global demand of over 231-mtpa, which is a benefit to us all.” Dr. Jennifer demonstrate commercial-scale decarboni-
ethylene is the key building block for Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech, said, “We sation solutions needed to move energy-
thousands of chemicals and materials look forward to developing a replica- intensive industries toward net-zero.

LEARNING FROM ACCIDENTS
US Chemical Safety Board launches investigations

into two toxic chemical incidents in Louisiana

The US Chemical Safety and The incident at Honeywell facility through the rupture disc contacted air
Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has resulted in an explosion and the release within the downstream piping, trigger-
launched investigations into toxic of approximately 870 pounds of HF and ing a fire and an explosion. No injuries
chemical releases at two facilities in 1,700 pounds of chlorine. While no inju- were reported, and property damage
Louisiana during 2023: the release of ries were reported, property damage at has not yet been determined.
hydrogen fluoride (HF) and chlorine the facility was estimated to be $4-mn.
at the Honeywell Performance Mate- CSB Chairperson Mr. Steve Owens
rials and Technologies facility in At the Dow facility, a detonation said, “Fortunately, no one was seriously
Geismar in January 2023; and the release occurred in a pipe segment for an EO injured or killed in either of these two
of ethylene oxide (EO) at the Dow pressure relief system within a glycol events, but both involved the release of
Chemical Louisiana Operations faci- manufacturing unit. Hot combustion highly toxic chemicals that could have
lity in Plaquemine in July 2023. Both gases subsequently entered a distil- put workers and nearby residents at seri-
incidents were reported to the CSB in lation column reflux drum, creating ous risk under different circumstances. We
accordance with the agency’s report- high-pressure conditions that ruptured want to make sure that similar incidents do
ing rules. the pressure vessel. EO that passed not happen again at these facilities.”

168 Chemical Weekly April 16, 2024

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised