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

DES PLAINES, Ill., FEBRUARY 27, 2023 -- Honeywell today announced that it has been selected by Ecopetrol S.A. (Ecopetrol), the largest company in Colombia and one of the main diversified energy companies on the American continent, to develop a prefeed engineering study for an Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture (ASCC) modular demonstration unit, which will be used to evaluate carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture from Ecopetrol Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) 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 refinery¹, including Ecopetrol´s refineries. Overall, the global refining industry produces ~3% of all CO₂ emissions.¹

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 capture². 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 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, 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.³

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 https://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 the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA’s shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector (www.ecopetrol.com.co).

¹ Wood Mackenzie: Refinery emissions: implications of carbon tax and mitigation options, November 2021

² Pilot plant testing at NCCC confirms greater than 98% CO₂ capture is achievable.

³ Includes capacity of deployed Honeywell technology (membranes and chemical & physical solvents) in installed projects enabling CO₂ capture from gas streams, of which 15 million tons of the captured CO₂ are being utilized for enhanced oil recovery annually.