Three companies - Saudi chemical giant Sabic, Sabic affiliate Scientific Design (SD), focussed on delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable EO-based technologies, and Linde Engineering, a subsidiary of Linde - have announced plans to work together on the decarbonisation of the SD ethylene glycol process. To that end, the three have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, designed to facilitate the development of innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the process.
These solutions will make use of the CO2 recovery and purification technology developed by Sabic, which will be offered to SD licensed manufacturing glycol plants worldwide - ultimately, to arrive at sustainable ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol production. Sabic’s proprietary CO2 technology which has already demonstrated its effectiveness in the world's largest carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) plant at SABIC affiliate, United.
“Our carbon capture strategy and this new opportunity to collaborate with Linde Engineering, demonstrates the importance of leveraging our technological expertise to transform waste products into valuable resources demonstrating the Circular Carbon Economy framework,” noted Bob Maughon, executive vice president, Technology & Innovation, CTO & CSO at Sabic.
Up to 500,000 metric tons of CO2 can be recovered and purified per year, and subsequently converted into valuable products such as urea, a vital agri-nutrient that enhances agricultural yields, methanol, a versatile building block for various chemicals, and liquefied CO2, widely used in the food and beverage industry.
“I’m proud that SABIC and Linde Engineering will work together to decarbonise this major petrochemical building block,” said John van der Velden, senior vice president Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering.
“This strategic collaboration aligns with our steadfast commitment to sustainability and also positions Sabic Scientific Design as a leader in offering Zero Carbon Ready EO/ EG Technology,” added Atieh Abu Raqabah, SD CEO
In 2021, SABIC announced its carbon neutrality commitment; 20% reduction by 2030 Interim Scope 1&2 emissions target compared to 2018 and carbon neutral by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
This strategic collaboration between SABIC, Scientific Design, and Linde Engineering represents a significant step toward transforming the chemical industry and accelerating the transition to a sustainable and carbon-neutral future.