Atlas Copco to supply CO2 compressor to biofuels plant project in Europe

Supporting its goal of driving the decarbonization of hydrocarbon processes and the road to net zero emissions, Atlas Copco Gas and Process will be supplying CO₂ compression equipment to one of Europe’s most ambitious renewable biofuels plant projects.

The equipment will be used in an 820,000 tpy biofuels facility, located at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands (formerly known as the Pernis refinery). Shell announced plans for the facility earlier this fall.

Once completed, the facility will be among Europe’s largest for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and renewable naptha made from biowaste. A facility of this size could produce enough renewable diesel to avoid 2.8 MM tons of CO₂ emissions a year. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 1 MM European cars off the roads.

Turbocompressor supports CO₂ transportation

In addition to the fuel production, an essential building block of Shell’s endeavor is the carbon capture and pipeline transport of CO₂: A by-product from different plant processes, including blue hydrogen, the CO₂ will be compressed to a pressure of 42.5 bar by the Atlas Copco Gas and Process’ five-stage turbocompressor. The machine is designed to compress 43.5 t/h.

Expected to start production in 2024, the new facility will help both the Netherlands and the rest of Europe in meeting internationally binding emissions reduction targets. It will produce low-carbon fuels such as renewable diesel from waste in the form of used cooking oil, waste animal fat and other industrial and agricultural residual products, using advanced technology developed by Shell. As part of its strategy, Shell is currently transforming its more than a dozen refineries into five energy and chemicals parks. Following the launch of the Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, in Germany, the new Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam is the second such park to be announced.

Meanwhile, with its involvement in this project, Atlas Copco Gas and Process extends its support of CCUS installations worldwide. For several decades now, Atlas Copco Gas and Process integrally-geared turbocompressors have been utilized in CO₂ applications across industries such as hydrocarbon processing, power generation or fertilizer.

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