Outotec Launches New CO2 Removal Pilot Plant
12/20/2010 - Outotec has commissioned a new CO2 removal pilot plant at its R&D center in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, complementing the company's circulating fluidized bed (CFB) pilot plant.
Outotec has commissioned a new CO2 removal pilot plant at its R&D center in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It complements Outotec's circulating fluidized bed (CFB) pilot plant, allowing for the cleaning of process gas from iron ore direct reduction as well as from coal and biomass gasification.
The new pilot plant provides the testing facilities to reduce the carbon footprint of coal and biomass-based energy production well as the oil winning from oil shale. The pilot installation also allows Outotec to fully demonstrate its proprietary Circofer® process for the direct reduction of fine iron ores based on coal.
The pilot plant applies BASF's licensed aMDEA technology for acid gas removal to remove primarily CO2 and H2S from metallurgical process gases. The facility also features integrated gas cleaning steps allowing for the treatment of gases rich in dust and tars. The gases that have been removed can be used in other processes or for underground storage as envisaged in carbon capture and storage (CCS) approaches.
"Not only is the new plant a big step in our mission to provide sustainable solutions to the various industries we serve, but it also allows our customers to improve their usage of raw materials and lower their emissions," said Peter Weber, President of Outotec's Energy, Light Metals and Environmental Solutions business area.
"Our goal is to be an innovative provider of sustainable solutions in the growing energy industry and the sooner we can develop them in our research centers, the quicker the benefits to our customers and the industry at large," Weber added.
