SABIC, SD & LINDE Collaborate to Explore Decarbonization in Chemical Industry

Riyadh, December 13, 2023, SPA -- The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Scientific Design (SD), an affiliate company licensing leader in Ethylene Glycol Technology and Linde Engineering, a subsidiary of Linde, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration to decarbonize the SD Ethylene Glycol Process, according to a press release issued by SABIC.
This collaboration aims to develop innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint, through low-carbon emissions technology, by offering SABIC's innovative CO2 recovery and purification technology to SD-licensed manufacturing glycol plants worldwide. The goal is to establish sustainable ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol production, and set benchmarks for carbon-neutral industries, the release said.
Executive Vice President, Technology & Innovation, CTO & CSO at SABIC Bob Maughon emphasized the company's commitment to carbon neutrality, saying: “At SABIC, we have outlined a clear pathway toward carbon neutrality that necessitates the advancement of innovative technologies on a large scale, both within our existing asset base and in our future growth.
“Through embracing innovation and fostering collaboration, we are developing new technologies and processes to drive our journey toward carbon neutrality. 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.”
Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering John van der Velden said that “by combining SABIC’s SD gas processing technology with Linde’s expertise in capturing and liquefying CO2, plus our strong track record in designing, executing and operating plants, we hope to find solutions that support a carbon neutral petrochemical industry”.
According to SD CEO Atieh Abu Raqabah, “integrating SABIC’s CO2 Capture & Purification technology into our EO/EG production processes… will enable us to capture and purify CO2 emissions generated during our EO/EG production processes, thereby mitigating the environmental impact. This strategic collaboration aligns with our steadfast commitment to sustainability".
According to the release, the collaboration will leverage SABIC's proprietary CO2 technology, which has already demonstrated its effectiveness in the world's largest carbon capture and utilization (CCU) plant at SABIC affiliate United. This technology has the capacity to recover and purify up to 500,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, which would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere during ethylene glycol production.
“The captured CO2 can be 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,” said the release.
In 2021, SABIC announced its carbon neutrality commitment: 20% reduction by 2030 Interim Scope 1&2 emissions target compared to 2018 and carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
The company's carbon neutrality roadmap comprises “five critical pathways”, according to the release: energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and green/blue hydrogen.
The strategic collaboration between SABIC, SD and Linde Engineering “represents a significant step toward transforming the chemical industry and accelerating the transition to a sustainable and carbon-neutral future”, said the release.