Wacker reports successful CO2 capture from silicon production
The chemical company Wacker has succeeded in capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during the production of silicon. The project was implemented using the technology and expertise of the Norwegian joint venture of SLB and Aker Carbon Capture in Norway.
At its production site in Holla, Norway, Wacker has tested a process for capturing CO2. At this location, the company produces silicon from quartz and carbon, a process that generates CO2 emissions. The tested capture process makes it possible to utilize or store the CO2 rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
The CO2 capture technology was provided by a joint venture between SLB and Aker Carbon Capture (ACC), which specializes in capturing CO2 from industrial emissions, including so-called “unavoidable” emissions, such as those from raw silicon production. A mobile test unit (MTU) from the joint venture was installed at Wacker’s Holla site. This pilot plant directed the emissions from silicon production into a chemical CO2 capture process known as amine scrubbing. In this process, a liquid containing amine extracts CO2 from the gas mixture. In a full-scale industrial process, the CO2 would then be separated from the liquid, liquefied, and purified.
The test phase concluded successfully at the end of June, achieving capture rates of over 95%. Additionally, the process parameters were thoroughly examined and validated. Concurrently, an engineering feasibility study was conducted, outlining a facility designed to capture 180,000 tons of CO2 annually. These calculations were refined using data from the practical tests. Wacker’s CEO, Christian Hartel, described the pilot study’s results as a significant success, demonstrating the technology’s ability to effectively capture CO2.
