We installed a new amine absorber at our San Roque refinery and reduced atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions.
How did we do it?
Amines are organic chemical compounds derived from ammonia. The treatment of gas with aqueous amine solutions involves a set of processes that remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from gases, thus reducing their impact on the environment.With this in mind, we acquired and installed an amine absorber, which allows us to reduce the H2S in the fuel gas recovered from the torch network from 20,000 ppmv (parts per million by volume) to 20 ppmv.
This project was undertaken to address a change in regulations relating to atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, namely the implementation of an emission limit of less than 35 mg/Nm3* if only gaseous fuels are used.
The result
With the amine absorber we have been able to reduce the sulfur content of the gas recovered from the Manufacturing I torch and reduce atmospheric SO2 emissions. In addition, in combination with other measures that we applied, it enabled us to reduce mass emissions of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) from the Gibraltar-San Roque refinery in 2019 by more than 20% compared to the previous year.
We installed this amine absorber as part of our commitment to the environment, whereby we look for more efficient and sustainable solutions for the short, medium and long term. Cepsa works every day toward being a sustainable energy company by adapting not only to regulations, but also to the environment in which we operate.
