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GEA unveils CO₂ capture technologies – supporting a circular carbon economy
22 Aug 2022
Capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) before it enters the atmosphere for its storage and posterior use, is critical to minimizing the greenhouse effect. At ACHEMA 2022 GEA presents emission reduction technologies, in particular the capture of carbon dioxide from waste gases through CO₂ scrubbing. GEA's solutions can significantly help plant operators reduce environmentally harmful emissions, especially in high emitting industries, improving their energy efficiency and facilitating the path to a carbon neutral production. GEA offers small and medium-sized CO₂ capture plants with great flexibility, allowing customers to capture CO₂ from very diverse exhaust gas compositions; this includes solutions using carbonates, amines or ammonia.
The photo shows a mobile CO₂ separation pilot unit for testing at customer´s premises or at a GEA test Center. (Photo: GEA)
Many industries classified as high CO₂ emitting sectors
Power plants that use fossil fuels as well as the waste incineration, steel, aluminum, glass, fertilizer and cement industries, have one thing in common: they are all classified as highly CO₂ emitting industries. Carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of several greenhouse gases, absorbs and re-radiates infrared radiation (radiant heat) emitted from the Earth's surface, contributing to the greenhouse effect. While CO₂, methane, and water vapor are the most common greenhouse gases, near-surface ozone and fluorinated gases also trap infrared radiation. Once released, greenhouse gases can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds or even thousands of years.
GEA with solutions to facilitate carbon capture, storage, and utilization
Capturing CO₂ before it enters the atmosphere and then using or storing it is a viable option and critical to minimizing the greenhouse effect. GEA's emission reduction technologies meet all the necessary requirements for the use of CO₂ scrubbing, a process to capture carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas. However, before this is possible, the exhaust gas must be cleaned. For the CO₂ capture system to perform efficiently (for example, through amine scrubbing) and to ensure that the absorption medium continues to function, CO₂ capture systems require clean flue gases.
First step: pretreatment and fine dust separation
The first step is pre-treatment and fine dust separation. Here GEA offers various solutions to remove pollutants, including sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Once the exhaust gas is clean, CO₂ capture can begin. To ensure that the process does not interfere with production, GEA recommends downstream processes for CO₂ separation.
Second step: CO₂ capture
GEA recommends to first evaluate stable, predictable, and compatible recovery pathways for the captured CO₂ before for the manufacturers select a capture process and its associated equipment. GEA offers small and medium-sized CO₂ capture plants with great flexibility, allowing customers to capture CO₂ with varying degrees of purity from very diverse exhaust gas compositions; this includes solutions that utilize carbonates, amines or ammonia.
CO₂ captured from industrial processes - or extracted from the atmosphere - can be used in place of carbon from fossil sources. Captured CO₂ is already being used for many applications and industries, some examples include:
- Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery (EGR): CO₂ is injected into depleted oil or gas reservoirs to increase oil/gas recovery.
- Production of carbonated beverages
- Hardening of concrete
- Raw material for chemical production of, for example, plastics, or e-fuels such as methanol
- Promotion of algae growth as feed for fish farming
GEA strongly promotes development of CO₂ reduction
To meet the urgent need to reduce emissions worldwide, GEA has gathered a team of experts to bring forward the development of CO₂ reduction in highly emitting industries. With a focus particularly on:
- an increase in the energy efficiency of production and emission processes
- Solutions that facilitate carbon capture, storage, and utilization
As an established global leader in the design, engineering and installation of emission control systems and technologies for customers in major process industries, GEA has more than a century of experience. This diverse portfolio includes:
- Gas cleaning technologies for the iron and steel, non-ferrous metallurgy, glass, cement and chemical industries.
- Gas cleaning solutions for fluid catalytic cracking plants in refineries
- Wet, semi-dry and dry scrubbers for highly efficient off-gas cleaning
Contact
Dr. Michael Golek
Media Relations
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
Ulmenstrasse 99
40476
Düsseldorf
Germany
+49 211 9136-0
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology.
With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated sales of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2025 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”
GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
