The_Catalyst_Review_April_2023 - 4

Commercial News
Evonik Announces Investment in Interface Polymers
Evonik announces it has invested in the British company Interface Polymers Ltd. The company's Polarfin®
additives simplify the
processing of plastics such as mixtures with polyethylene or polypropylene. At the same time, its technology makes it possible to
recycle such plastics, thereby solving one of the biggest problems in the recycling process. Polyethylene and polypropylene are
versatile and widely used plastics because of their low weight and durability. However, their poor compatibility with other materials
is a drawback. So far, costly and time-consuming surface preparation was the only solution. The unique Polarfin®
additive technology
developed by Interface Polymers makes such preparation unnecessary. Moreover, it greatly reduces the amount of additives
needed. As a result, mixed plastics are easier to recycle. The Sustainability Tech Fund launched by Evonik in 2022 is adding Interface
Polymers to its investment portfolio. In addition to the investment by the Sustainability Tech Fund, Evonik's Coating Additives
business line has agreed to an extensive development partnership with Interface Polymers with the aim of using its technology in
paints and coatings. Source: Evonik, 3/20/2023.
Aramco, Linde Engineering to Develop
Ammonia Cracking Technology
Aramco and Linde Engineering have announced that they have
signed an agreement to jointly develop a new ammonia cracking
technology. The collaboration will combine Linde Engineering
and Aramco's experience and capabilities in industrial research
and development, lower-carbon hydrogen and ammonia cracking
technology. A potential differentiator of this new technology is
the ammonia cracking catalyst, jointly developed by Aramco
and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST), which will be evaluated against other catalysts. Through
this agreement, Aramco and Linde Engineering plan to build a
demonstration plant in northern Germany to showcase this new
ammonia cracking technology. Linde Engineering intends to offer
this ammonia cracking technology to current and new customers,
creating new commercial opportunities within the global lowercarbon
energy supply chain. The emerging lower-carbon ammonia
business may prove to be key in bridging the gap between a
country's domestic renewable energy production capacity and total
energy demand. Source: Aramco, 3/15/2023.
Finnair to Fuel Departing Aircraft with
Neste SAF
Finnair announces the purchase of 750 tons of Neste MY
Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ from Neste to reduce the carbon
emissions from flights departing from Helsinki Airport in
Finland. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the most
important tools for reducing the emissions of air travel in the
coming years and is available for all airlines at Helsinki Airport.
Finnair aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, and the
use of sustainable aviation fuel is an important tool in this
regard. Using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ reduces
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 80% over the fuel's
life cycle compared with using fossil jet fuel. The fuel volume
now purchased is Finnair's single largest batch of sustainable
aviation fuel purchased to date. The SAF will be delivered by
Neste to Helsinki Airport in early 2023. The 750 tons of SAF
corresponds to approximately 400 flights between Helsinki
and Stockholm using unblended, 100% SAF. Currently, SAF
can be used blended up to 50% with conventional fossil jet
fuel. Source: Neste, 3/20/2023.
Shell Catalysts & Technologies to Deliver Process Design Package for Humber H2ub®
Project
The international energy company Uniper, and Shell UK Limited (Shell UK), have awarded Shell Catalysts & Technologies a contract
to deliver a process design package for the Humber H2ub® project, using the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process (SBHP). The deal,
which was awarded following a formal selection process, could see the technology deployed at Uniper and Shell UK's proposed
project in the Humber, UK, which aims to produce low-carbon hydrogen that could be used to decarbonize industry, transport and
power throughout the region. Two other companies are also working on plant design proposals for the project, and the one that is
selected will become the Humber H2ub® project's preferred low-carbon hydrogen production technology provider. That company
will also support the project's front-end engineering design (FEED) and egineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) stages,
ahead of the financial investment decision (FID) which is expected by around 2025. The proposals involve building a blue hydrogen
production unit at Uniper's Killingholme, UK, site, capable of generating 720MW of low-carbon hydrogen from natural gas (enough
to heat more than half a million homes a year). The carbon dioxide produced as a result of this process, estimated to be 1.6 million
t/y, would be captured and stored permanently in a geological formation in the North Sea. This project could potentially contribute
towards the UK government's target to capture and store 20-30 million t/y of carbon by 2030 and to produce up to 10 GW of low
carbon hydrogen. Source: Digital Refining, 3/23/2023.
IndianOil Approves
Largest-ever Investment
at a Single Location
The IndianOil Board has accorded 'Stage-I' approval for setting up Paradip Petrochemical
Complex at Paradip, Odisha at an estimated cost of Rs 61,077 crore. This mega project will
be the largest-ever investment of IndianOil at a single location. The petrochemical complex
shall include a world-scale Cracker unit along with downstream process units for producing
several petrochemical products including polypropylene (PP), high density polyethylene
(HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc.
4
The Catalyst Review
April 2023

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