Catalysis for a cleaner world

With an increasing focus on the environment, Topsoe’s flexible and energy-efficient technologies and processes will continue to contribute towards a cleaner world – for example in

• the power industry for removing sulphur and NOx from flue gases
• the transportation sector for reducing emission from heavy duty vehicles
• the chemical industry for treatment of waste products
• the refining industry for removing sulphur and other pollutants

Optimisation of energy resources through catalytic processes in chemical plants makes production processes highly energy efficient.

Flexible energy supply

The catalytic processes provide flexibility in the energy production and thus in the energy supply of the future. With Topsoe’s technologies we can transform coal and biomass into natural gas – and natural gas into diesel.

The synthesis gas is the key to flexibility. Synthesis gas can be produced from natural gas or by gasifying eg coal or biomass – wood chips, organic waste products from the manufacturing industry and even household waste. Through catalytic processes you can transform synthesis gas into a number of energy carriers – eg hydrogen, liquid fuels, petrol or DME.

From ”sweet and light crudes” to ”sour and heavy crudes”

Catalysts help ensure optimal use of our raw materials. The world’s reserves of low sulphur (sweet) and light oil are running out and refiners are forced to begin to use the huge deposits of heavy and more sulphur rich oils - the ”sour and heavy crudes”.

In hydroprocessing units sulphur, nitrogen and metals are removed and aromatics are lowered - in many cases with the aid of Topsoe’s hydroprocessing catalysts. As the future demand for transportation fuels increasing and the crudes are becoming heavier and more sour, it is important that the hydroprocessing is performed in the most energy-efficient way.