Tag: Nitric Acid

Clariant's EnviCat N2O removal catalysts cuts 44,000 tons/month CO2e emissions at GNFC nitric acid plant in Gujarat, India

A review of papers presented at CRU’s Nitrogen+Syngas 2025 Expoconference, held in Barcelona from February 10th-12th 2025.

Nitrogen+Syngas ’s annual listing of new ammonia, urea, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants.

Orica says it has achieved a decarbonisation milestone by eliminating 1.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) from its Kooragang Island site, the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road. The emissions reduction is the result of deployment of tertiary abatement technology on three nitric acid plants, in a project co-financed by the New South Wales Government’s Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program and the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The Clean Energy Regulator also approved the project as eligible to generate Australian carbon credit units.

A foundation laying ceremony attended by Qatar’s Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani has been held at Qafco’s new blue ammonia facility at Mesaieed Industrial City on Qatar’s east coast. The plant, which is scheduled to be completed in 4Q 2026, will be the largest blue ammonia facility in the world. Speaking at the ceremony, energy minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said the facility will have a capacity of 1.2 million t/a, along with CO2 injection and storage facilities with a capacity of 1.5 million t/a. QatarEnergy will also provide the new plant with more than 35 MW of electricity from the solar power plant currently being built in Mesaieed. Completion of the complex will see Qatar become the world’s largest exporter of urea, producing 12.4 million t/a, according to Qafco.

Innovative catalyst systems from Heraeus and Łukasiewicz Research Network – New Chemical Syntheses Institute contribute to reach climate goals by reducing N2 O emissions during nitric acid production. Dr Uwe Jantsch and Jens Hesse of Heraeus Precious Metals report on the process performance results achieved for N2 O reduction in nitric acid production using FTC gauze systems and iron oxide based secondary catalysts.

Demand for nitrates has rebounded after a difficult period following the dislocations caused by the war in Ukraine, with UAN in particular seeing rapid growth. Technical ammonium nitrate is also growing on the back of increased mining activity.

Casale’s fluid bed granulation tail gas treatment for nitrogen-based fertilizer employs double temperature scrubbing technology, which handles the granulator exhaust air separately from the cooler exhaust air. The technology can combine dust removal with ammonia abatement in the same installation to meet strict tail gas limitations such as 10 mg/Nm3 for dust and 10 mg/Nm3 for ammonia. Ken Monstrey of Casale explains the key features of the Casale scrubbing technology.

As the industry pushes towards more sustainable practices, ammonia is emerging as a promising alternative fuel for ships. Effective management of by-product NOx, NH3 and N2 O emissions from the combustion of ammonia is crucial to the success of ammonia as an alternative fuel. A new catalyst has been developed by Enercat to treat these three molecules in one bed. Jean-Rémi Stephany and Emmanuel Rohart of Enercat – Alsys Group report on this new technology which has been developed in marine ammonia combustion engine conditions.

The nitric acid industry has made great strides in reducing nitrous oxide emissions over the past few decades, but emissions from agriculture due to nitrogen fertilizers remain a problematic source of N2 O in the atmosphere.