The First Domestic Chemical Industry Demonstration Facility for CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization) New Technology Using Gas Separation Membranes
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Lotte Chemical has installed a demonstration facility for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) at its Yeosu Plant 1 to actively respond to climate change and secure green technology.
In response to the global strengthening of greenhouse gas emission regulations and the continuous increase in carbon emission permit prices, the company has become the first domestic petrochemical firm to develop carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and utilization technology using gas separation membranes.
Currently, domestic chemical companies purchase emission permits or receive partial reductions by using renewable energy to handle CO2 generated during raw material production processes, but the annual purchase cost ranges from several billion to hundreds of billions of Korean won.
The gas separation membrane-based CCU technology, installed at Yeosu Plant 1 in mid-March and now in demonstration, has been tested in other domestic industries but has not been commercialized due to lack of business feasibility in transportation and sales.
Lotte Chemical plans to complete a commercial facility by 2023 after about one year of operating the Yeosu demonstration facility, collecting and analyzing data, and evaluating the impact of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Through this, it will additionally capture over 60,000 tons of CO2 annually, increase its purity, and use it as a raw material for its self-produced polycarbonate products. It will also manufacture dry ice and semiconductor cleaning solution raw materials to sell to nearby small and medium chemical companies.
In the future, the company plans to expand related facilities to its Daesan and Ulsan plants to utilize more than 200,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Additionally, Lotte Chemical is jointly researching CO2 capture commercialization technology through cooperation with domestic technology small and medium enterprises. To promote localization of related technologies and create a cooperative case of a green ecosystem between large corporations and small technology companies, it signed an MOU last year with Airrain Co., Ltd., which holds core polymer gas separation membrane technology.
Through this, promising domestic SMEs will have opportunities for technology verification and global market expansion, while Lotte Chemical will simultaneously pursue technology acquisition as a CO2 reduction and utilization measure in preparation for the low-carbon era.
Hwang Jin-gu, CEO of the Basic Materials Business, stated, "It is meaningful to lead changes for carbon neutrality with domestic technology to actively respond to global environmental regulations," adding, "After various demonstration processes, we plan to actively expand Lotte Chemical’s 'Green Promise 2030' activities for carbon-neutral growth by promoting wider application."
Meanwhile, Lotte Chemical’s demonstration R&D is expected to be a good example in the petrochemical industry of realizing the government’s '2050 Carbon Neutrality Promotion Strategy' 3+1 strategy announced last December, specifically the 'decarbonization of the economic structure,' by capturing and purifying CO2?a representative greenhouse gas previously emitted into the atmosphere as flue gas?and converting it into essential industrial products.
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