Ecopetrol Selects Honeywell Technology For Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture Study In Colombia

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Honeywell announced that it has been selected by Ecopetrol S.A., an integrated oil and gas company in Bogotá, Colombia, to develop a prefeed engineering study for a Honeywell^TM Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture modular demonstration unit, which will be used to evaluate carbon dioxide capture from Ecopetrol Fluid Catalytic Cracking units.

FCC units are key conversion process units within refineries that enable the production of gasoline and propylene. FCC units are also significant sources of CO₂ emissions, accounting for 15-20% of overall emissions in a typical FCC-based refinery, including Ecopetrol ́s refineries. Overall, the global refining industry produces ~3% of all CO₂ emissions.

Honeywell UOP’s ASCC technology has been designed to capture CO₂ from post-combustion flue gases, which are more challenging to treat due to the low CO₂ concentration and low pressure inherent in these sources. In the ASCC process, CO₂ is absorbed into an amine solvent and then sent to a stripper where CO₂ is separated from the solvent and then transported to be utilized or stored geologically. Honeywell’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture technology is specifically designed for post-combustion flue gas applications, enabling greater than 95 percent CO₂ capture. This technology can be retrofitted within existing plants or included as part of a new installation.

The design target of the demonstration unit is to capture 30 tons of CO₂ per day from Ecopetrol FCC flue gas. If implemented, the demonstration unit will provide valuable information into the performance of this technology in reducing FCC emissions, with learnings that can be used to inform the deployment of commercial-scale units in FCC service.

Ecopetrol is the first company in the O&G industry in Latin America to set the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for scopes 1 and 2. As a midterm target, by 2030 Ecopetrol seeks to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% as compared to 2019.

Honeywell’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture technology can help meet these goals.

“The use of Honeywell’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture technology can effectively reduce Ecopetrol’s environmental impact by helping to prevent CO₂ emissions from entering the atmosphere,” said Barry Glickman, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “Honeywell’s ready-now ASCC technology produces high-purity, storable carbon dioxide and can help companies worldwide meet their carbon reduction goals.”

Today, 15 million tons per year of CO₂ is being captured and used in storage/utilization applications through Honeywell’s CO₂ Solutions process expertise. Current Honeywell customers have the capacity to capture 40 million tons of CO₂ per year through installed projects worldwide that utilize Honeywell CO₂ technology.

Honeywell is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities, as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About 60% of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

For more information on Honeywell’s carbon capture solutions, visit pmt.honeywell.com/us/en/solutions/sustainability/carbon-capture.

About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About Ecopetrol

Ecopetrol is one of the leading integrated oil and gas conglomerates in Latin America, responsible for around 70% of Colombian hydrocarbon production. Ecopetrol participates in the upstream, midstream, downstream and commercialization, has an electric self-generation capacity of over 1.300 MW and became the largest self-generator with renewable energy in the country (www.ecopetrol.com.co).