MHI to License Flue Gas Carbon Dioxide Recovery Technology

The technology to be licensed by MHI separates and recovers CO2, using the company's proprietary KS-1 solvent, from flue gas emitted during the urea fertilizer production process, which uses natural gas as fuel. The captured CO2, of 99% purity, will be provided as feedstock for urea synthesis from ammonia. The KS-1 solvent was jointly developed by MHI and Kansai Electric Power Company, Inc. (Kansai EP).

The CO2 recovery plant to adopt MHI's CO2 recovery technology using the KS-1 solvent - officially known as the "KM CDR Process" (Kansai-Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery Process) - will be constructed at NFL’s Vijaipur Plant, which already consists of two trains of ammonia-urea plants. The technology can recover approximately 90% of the CO2 in flue gas, and as such the process contributes significantly to environmental preservation and energy saving. The CO2 recovery plant will be constructed by Tecnimont ICB Pvt. Ltd., an Indian engineering firm.

NFL, established in 1974, is India's one of-largest urea fertilizer producer.

The KM CDR Process requires considerably lower energy consumption compared with other technology processes. Not only is it advantageous in terms of operating costs; it also makes for easy installation, maintenance and inspection. To date MHI has delivered the plant or licensed the technology to a total of nine fertilizer production plants around the world. The company believes that the high reputation stemming from this track record contributed largely to NFL’s selection of the technology. The latest event represents the third licensing of the technology to an Indian fertilizer company, following earlier agreements with Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (NFCL). In terms of number of plants, licensing to NFL represents the fourth Indian plant: two plants have been licensed to IFFCO.

In addition to urea production, CO2 recovery technology can be employed in chemical applications such as production of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). Other important applications possible are carbon capture and storage (CCS) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). CCS is used to capture CO2 from flue gas from plants, including thermal power generation plants, and sequester CO2 in deep subsurfaces such as brine aquifers, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EOR is employed to boost crude oil production; here, the CO2 is injected into an oil reservoir suffering from low productivity.

Due to recent increased concern over global warming and instability in oil prices, CCS and EOR technologies are garnering intense attention globally, and demand has been rising sharply. Going forward, MHI intends to promote its large-scale CO2 recovery facilities for both chemical plants and CCS/EOR applications.