Clariant EnviCat^™ N₂O-S catalyst expected to cut 275 KT/Y CO₂eq at Sichuan Lutianhua nitric acid plant

MUNICH, December 5, 2024 - Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, today announced that its EnviCat N₂O-S nitrous abatement catalyst is performing successfully at Sichuan Lutianhua's nitric acid plant and is projected to reduce annual emissions by 275 kilotons of CO₂eq[1]. Sichuan Lutianhua is one of the winners of Clariant's 2021-2022 global Climate Campaign, which offered a free load of the catalyst to nitric acid producers lacking N₂O abatement technology. Located in Sichuan Province, China, the 135 KTA nitric acid plant started operating in 2009 with no N₂O removal system in place.

Xaver Karsunke, Vice President of Clariant Specialty Catalysts, commented, "With China supporting crucial decarbonization efforts to combat climate change, we are proud to partner with Sichuan Lutianhua on reducing their carbon footprint through our innovative catalyst technology. Clariant's EnviCat solutions are empowering leading Chinese companies, like Sichuan Lutianhua, to efficiently cut emissions in hard-to-abate industrial sectors."

Sun Guang, Assistant General Manager at Sichuan Lutianhua, added, “Our company is committed to sustainable practices and reducing our environmental impact. Partnering with Clariant to install the EnviCat N₂O-S catalyst is an important step towards achieving our emissions reduction goals. We have already measured a significant decrease in N₂O emissions from our nitric acid production and look forward to continued positive results.”

Founded in 1959 and based in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, China, Sichuan Lutianhua Co. Ltd. is a leading producer of chemicals with significant capacities in ammonia, urea, methanol, and dimethyl ether. Listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 1999, the company has advanced technological capabilities with a strong focus on research and development.

Nitric acid is essential for producing fertilizers. However, its production emits N₂O, which is nearly 300 times more damaging to the climate than CO₂. Adding to the problem, more than half of nitric acid producers do not remove N₂O from their off-gas. Based on 66 million tons of nitric acid produced annually around the world[2], N₂O emissions equal to approximately 100 million tons of CO_2e yearly[3].

The EnviCat N₂O catalyst series presents an easy solution to this serious problem. Using the catalysts, N₂O and other nitrogen oxides can be removed almost completely (up to 99% for tertiary abatement and 95% for secondary abatement) from production emissions. Moreover, the EnviCat N₂O-S is easy to adopt as the catalysts can be installed in any state-of-the-art nitric acid plant without disrupting the production process. Well-established in the market for more than 20 years, EnviCat N₂O catalysts are currently installed in over 50 plants globally.

The aim of Clariant’s Climate Campaign was to provide nitric acid producers around the world with an economical path to emission reduction. From November 2021 to March 2022, several winners were selected to receive a complimentary load of the EnviCat N₂O-S catalyst.

Learn more about Clariant’s EnviCat N₂O-S catalyst for nitrous oxide abatement.

Enabling our customers to reduce their nitrous oxide emissions is part of Clariant’s broader initiative to support a wide range of industries in the energy transition. This includes decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, advancing the hydrogen economy, and promoting the adoption of renewable energy sources. In 2023 alone, Clariant’s catalysts helped avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 40 million tons of CO₂e for its customers.

EnviCat^™ IS A TRADEMARK OF CLARIANT. 

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