Mumbai, 22 December 2023: Essar Oil UK has taken a significant stride towards realizing its commitment to environmental sustainability by officially selecting Topsoe as a key licensor technology provider for the planned EET Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC) facility at Stanlow, UK. The chosen sustainable flue-gas treatment technology, SNOXTM, by Topsoe, is expected to play a crucial role in achieving Essar Oil UK’s ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 1 million tons annually.
This announcement marks a pivotal step in Essar Oil UK’s $1.2 billion investment initiative dedicated to decarbonizing the Stanlow refinery. By leveraging Topsoe’s cutting-edge SNOXTM technology, Essar aims to curb approximately 95% of the refinery’s CO2 emissions, solidifying its position as the world’s first low-carbon refinery and a leading producer of low-carbon fuels.
Deepak Maheshwari, CEO of Essar Oil UK, expressed confidence in the company’s decarbonization strategy, stating, “We are prepared to advance to the next phase of Essar Oil UK’s decarbonization strategy. With a $1.2 billion investment, Essar Oil UK is poised to become the world’s first low-carbon refinery. The industrial carbon capture facility, in collaboration with our upcoming hydrogen fuel switching project, will effectively reduce the refinery’s CO2 emissions by 95%. Topsoe is a valuable partner in this endeavour, providing us with a well-proven and highly sustainable flue-gas treatment in the form of Topsoe SNOXTM technology.”
Essar’s comprehensive decarbonization strategy involves two state-of-the-art projects:
Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC): Announced at Stanlow in November 2022, this project aims to be operational by 2028, resulting in an annual emissions reduction of approximately 1 million tons of CO2.
Hydrogen Fuel Switching: Transitioning from natural gas to hydrogen as the primary fuel source is expected to contribute to an annual emissions reduction of around 1 million tons of CO2.
These initiatives position Essar Oil UK at the forefront of the UK’s energy transition, leading the way in producing the country’s first low-carbon fuels. This not only reinforces the refinery’s pivotal role in the UK’s energy security and resilience but also underscores its commitment to a sustainable future.
With the selection of Topsoe and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as technology partners, Essar Oil UK has now identified the majority of its technology collaborators, signaling readiness to progress to the front-end engineering design (FEED) phase of the project. Basic engineering design packages (BEDP) for the licensed technologies are already in development.
Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, expressed enthusiasm, saying, “We are thrilled to have been chosen as the technology licensor for Essar Oil UK and to support them in meeting their decarbonization targets. The agreement represents a landmark step for Topsoe’s development in the United Kingdom, and we look forward to working with Essar on this important project, which is a great example of how the fossil industry can decarbonize itself.”
