150,000 t CO2 savings: New CTP nitrous oxide reduction plant

10. May 2021

A new solution from CTP for the combined purification of organic pollutants and nitrogen oxides, RTO-i-SCR, has been switched on in Antwerp. The specialty chemicals group, LANXESS, uses the plant for the reduction of nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas. This is harmless to humans, but 300 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. The new nitrous oxide reduction plant degrades around 500 tonnes of nitrous oxide per year, which corresponds to an equivalent climate impact of 150,000 tonnes of CO2. The new plant splits the nitrous oxide into its components, nitrogen and oxygen, at around 1,000 degrees Celsius, thus completely neutralising it.

New RTO-i-SCR plant from CTP in Antwerp

CTP exhaust gas purification: the latest solution for combined cleaning of organic pollutants (RTO) and nitrogen oxides (SCR). The innovative exhaust gas purification system, RTO-i-SCR, was switched on at LANXESS in Antwerp.

As a result, the specialty chemicals group Lanxess has taken another big step forward to its goal of becoming climate neutral. The new nitrous oxide reduction plant degrades around 500 tonnes of nitrous oxide per year, which in turn corresponds to an equivalent climate impact of 150,000 tonnes of CO2.

Nitrous oxide (N2O), also commonly known as laughing gas, is produced at the Antwerp site during the production of the plastic intermediate Caprolactam. The gas is harmless to humans, but 300 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. The new plant splits the nitrous oxide into its components, nitrogen and oxygen, at around 1,000 oCelsius, and is therefore completely neutralised (RTO plant).

In a second process step, additional nitrogen oxides (NOx gases) are decomposed in the plant. For this purpose, ammonia is used as a reducing agent. At temperatures between 250 and 450 oCelsius, the nitrogen oxides are degraded and produce nitrogen and water (SCR system).

Due to the innovative combination of these processes (RTO-i-SCR), the system ensures high thermal efficiency. This is ensured through specially developed ceramic heat exchangers. These collect and store the heat used in the thermal oxidation process and generated during the degradation of nitrous and nitrogen oxides. This means that significantly less external energy is required to keep the process running. The CTP RTO-i-SCR is designed for a throughput of 72,400 Nm3/h.

CTP has already supplied several exhaust gas purification systems to the Lanxess Group, the first as long as 15 years ago.

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Alexandra Macher

CTP Chemisch Thermische Prozesstechnik GmbH