Decarbonisation Technology – August 2021

Vent gas

Pretreatment unit

CO capture unit

Cooling water

Cooler

Wash

Pump

Condenser

Cooler

Make-up

Cooler

Direct contact cooler

Pump

Absorber

Stripper

Blow down

Steam

Pump

Lean/rich heat exchanger

Reboiler

Blower

Flue gas after ue gas desulphurisation

Rich solvent pump

Lean solvent pump

Figure 3 Depending on the upstream process, the level of CO 2 concentration differs and this in turn defines the family of carbon capture technology that is deployed. Most of the ongoing carbon capture projects are post-combustion that can be retrofitted into an existing facility Courtesy of Emerson

replaced by LNG, renewable natural gas (RNG), synthetic methane, and so on (see Figure 2 ). Similarly, downstream process facilities, including refineries, are reducing their carbon footprint by replacing fossil fuel-fired furnaces with electric furnaces powered by renewable energy sources. Other industries are replacing gas-fired heaters in their factories with renewable fuels or electric heaters to offset emissions. Transnational cooperation can help accelerate this transition to sustainable energy. Transnational cooperation The Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Project (DDPP), a global research initiative seeking realistic pathways for countries in the transition to a low-carbon economy involves research teams from over 16 countries, including some of the heaviest carbon emitters. However, there are significant outliers affecting progress to decarbonisation, including cybersecurity disruptions and market uncertainty. We are seeing international companies whose brand is well represented in the oil and gas industry, such as Occidental, transition altogether to ‘carbon management’ companies. Transnational

cooperation in the establishment of a global carbon price, for the right to emit a tonne of CO 2 into the atmosphere, will provide a powerful incentive to carbon management (see Figure 3 ). Accelerating these incentives are the declining costs of alternative energy such as solar energy. Solar energy costs have declined in some parts of the world to the extent that it is as cheap as ‘regular grid’ electricity. We can see that just as important as the ‘new’ technologies like battery storage and HVO-based biofuels are for decarbonisation, so too is capital favoured towards companies prioritising ESG. New energy policies, broader ESG measures and environmental cooperation among the energy and fuels producers and their end-user value chain must be part of the decarbonisation plan. The ultimate solution may be to bring extraordinary people together to formulate an agile business transformation while diverse industries in different regions are in various stages of decarbonisation.

Rene G Gonzalez gonzalez.global@gmail.com