MHI To License Flue Gas Carbon Dioxide Recovery Technology

Tokyo, Japan — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), with support by Mitsubishi Corporation, has agreed to license its carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery technology to Ruwais Fertilizer Industries (FERTIL), a fertilizer producer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). FERTIL will use the technology at its existing urea fertilizer production plant in the Ruwais Industrial Area located approximately 250 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi, the national capital. The CO2 recovery unit, slated for completion at the end of 2008, will be able to capture 400 metric tons of CO2 per day.

The technology to be licensed by MHI recovers CO2 from flue gas emitted during the urea fertilizer production process and provides the captured CO2 as feedstock for urea synthesis. Urea fertilizer production consists of two processes: ammonia production and urea production. CO2 contained in the flue gas emitted from the primary reformer during the ammonia production process is absorbed into the KS-1 proprietary solvent, which MHI jointly developed with Kansai Electric Power Company, Inc (Kansai EP). The latter is then synthesized with ammonia for use as feedstock for urea production. The technology can recover approximately 90% of the CO2 in flue gas.

FERTIL was established in 1980 as a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Total, a French oil and gas integrated company. At present, the company produces 1,340 mtpd (metric tons per day) of ammonia and 1,850 mtpd of urea for supply to the domestic and international markets. FERTIL is introducing CO2 recovery technology with the aim of increasing its urea production.

In addition to enabling useful utilization of flue gas CO2, the new technology will also make a welcome contribution to environmental preservation through reduction of CO2 emissions.

MHI's CO2 recovery technology, officially known as the "KM CDR Process" (Kansai-Mitsubishi proprietary Carbon Dioxide Recovery Process), was jointly developed with Kansai EP. Two other companies besides MHI also possess flue gas CO2 recovery technologies, but MHI's technology offers the advantage of considerably lower energy consumption.

The order from FERTIL marks MHI's fifth CDR plant project. The first plant, having a recovery capacity of 160 mtpd, was installed at Petronas Fertilizer (Kedah) Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia in 1999. In addition to a plant in Japan, two more CDR plants are currently under construction in India. For the FERTIL project, in addition to providing its CO2 recovery technology MHI will also perform the plant's basic design work.

Besides urea production, CO2 recovery technology can be used in such chemical applications as production of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) and, in the food and beverage industries, production of carbonated beverages and dry ice. Another important possible application is enhanced oil recovery (EOR) enabling increased crude oil production; in this case, CO2 is injected into an oil reservoir suffering from low productivity.

Due to the recent surge in oil prices, demand for EOR has been rising especially sharply. Leveraging this latest licensing of its technology, a first for MHI to the Middle East, going forward MHI intends to promote large-scale CO2 recovery facilities for EOR to oil companies, as well as for chemical plant applications.

SOURCE: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd