TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies – Future Pathways
GHG Emissions (Scope 1&2) Abatement (CO2, Methane) - Detection; CO2 Capture; CCUS; DAC; Carbon Products
Forum 20 | Technical Programme Hall 4
28
April
10:00
11:30
UTC+3
This forum will explore innovative approaches and technologies for the detection and abatement of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 and methane. Topics will cover advanced detection methods, CO2 capture techniques, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) strategies. Additionally, the forum will delve into direct air capture (DAC) technologies and the development of carbon products. Attendees will gain insights into the latest advancements and practical applications in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
During the extraction of oil and natural gas, a large amount of excess flammable gas, the majority of which is methane, is often produced. From the perspectives of safety, environmental protection and economy, the excess gas needs to be burned. In today's petroleum industry, with increasingly strict environmental protection regulations introduced by countries around the world and the rising demand from flare users for remote and non-contact monitoring of combustion exhaust gas emissions, the monitoring methods of flare systems urgently need to transform from traditional contact measurements to visual and intelligent monitoring. China's "Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law" clearly stipulates that oil and gas companies must install flare systems to treat associated gas in order to reduce its pollution to the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulates that the combustion efficiency of the torch must reach over 98% to ensure that the associated gas can be fully burned and reduce the emission of harmful gases. Regular monitoring and analysis of the efficiency of torches is an urgent need in the industry at present. This research aims to develop a non-contact system based on infrared imaging and visual recognition. By remotely monitoring the torch combustion and combining the characteristics of the flame and the emitted gas, it realizes the refined calculation of indicators such as the torch combustion efficiency. Specifically, in this study, through a specially designed optical system and detector, the spectral images of infrared radiation from different substances generated during the torch combustion process were captured and relevant indicators such as the flame combustion coefficient were calculated and transformed. The significance of this research lies in that the downstream system can further expand and integrate the automatic control module for the combustion-supporting agent. By real-time analysis of the flame combustion efficiency and the proportion of escaping gas, the injection amount of combustion-supporting air or steam can be fed back and adjusted to achieve dynamic closed-loop control of flame stability and combustion efficiency. It can not only enhance the combustion efficiency of torches and thus environmental compliance, but also provide a new path for green refining and chemical industry as well as intelligent emission management.
Reducing Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions from industrial point sources is a critical component of achieving net-zero targets. However, many carbon utilization technologies rely on purified CO₂ streams, which are costly and energy-intensive to obtain due to requirements for capture, compression, and purification. This work presents a novel electrochemical system that integrates CO₂ capture and conversion into a single step, enabling the direct use of low-purity CO₂ streams (~10% concentration), such as those found in industrial flue gases, for the production of ethylene—a widely used platform chemical in the manufacture of polymers and fuels.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
A novel membrane-based process enables the simultaneous reduction of SO₂ emissions and CO₂ capture from sulfur recovery unit (SRU) tail gas streams.
During acid gas removal from natural gas—whether to meet pipeline specifications or for further processing such as liquid recovery or nitrogen removal—CO₂ is captured alongside H₂S and sent to the Claus unit. Within the Claus unit, H₂S is converted into elemental sulfur for safe disposal. However, CO₂ is typically released into the atmosphere via the thermal oxidizer downstream of the Claus tail gas treatment unit. H2S-selective amines tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) is deployed downstream of the SRU to assure compliance with sulfur emission specs in the stack. While post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies, such as amine-based systems, can be employed downstream of the TGTU. Amine-based technologies are bulky and energy-intensive due to operation at near-atmospheric conditions.
Saudi Aramco has patented a new membrane-based process that simultaneously achieves both efficient H₂S removal from tail gas and CO₂ capture. This process utilizes special commercially available membranes: H2S-selective membranes, and CO2-selective membranes, hence it is referred to as Membrane Tail Gas Treatment (MTGT) process.
The hydrogenation and quench tower sections remain similar to those found in conventional amine-based tail gas treatment systems. However, the innovation begins downstream of the quench tower, where the tail gas stream is compressed to 15 bar and directed to MTGT, where its configuration of H₂S- and CO₂-selective membranes is optimized with the required compression to:
By integrating the tail gas treatment with CO₂ capture, the required compression step is optimized, providing a cost-effective solution for both processes.
Potential applications of this technology will be presented.
During acid gas removal from natural gas—whether to meet pipeline specifications or for further processing such as liquid recovery or nitrogen removal—CO₂ is captured alongside H₂S and sent to the Claus unit. Within the Claus unit, H₂S is converted into elemental sulfur for safe disposal. However, CO₂ is typically released into the atmosphere via the thermal oxidizer downstream of the Claus tail gas treatment unit. H2S-selective amines tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) is deployed downstream of the SRU to assure compliance with sulfur emission specs in the stack. While post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies, such as amine-based systems, can be employed downstream of the TGTU. Amine-based technologies are bulky and energy-intensive due to operation at near-atmospheric conditions.
Saudi Aramco has patented a new membrane-based process that simultaneously achieves both efficient H₂S removal from tail gas and CO₂ capture. This process utilizes special commercially available membranes: H2S-selective membranes, and CO2-selective membranes, hence it is referred to as Membrane Tail Gas Treatment (MTGT) process.
The hydrogenation and quench tower sections remain similar to those found in conventional amine-based tail gas treatment systems. However, the innovation begins downstream of the quench tower, where the tail gas stream is compressed to 15 bar and directed to MTGT, where its configuration of H₂S- and CO₂-selective membranes is optimized with the required compression to:
- Reject nitrogen with acceptable H2S content to meet the SO2 spec in the stack.
- Separate H₂S rich stream that is recycled to the furnace reactor or upstream of the preheater of the first catalytic converter, depending on the Claus unit operation and quality of its feedstock.
- Capture CO₂ with minimal contaminants, ensuring H₂S remains below 200 ppm for safety and corrosion control, and nitrogen stays below 2% to avoid phase envelope issues in case CO₂ is reinjected into saline aquifers.
By integrating the tail gas treatment with CO₂ capture, the required compression step is optimized, providing a cost-effective solution for both processes.
Potential applications of this technology will be presented.
QatarEnergy LNG produces 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and ~14 MTPA of sales gas. The company also operates two condensate refineries processing over 306,000 barrels per stream day of products. Associated facilities include two helium refineries, sulfur granulation, and storage and loading facilities for LNG and hydrocarbon products in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. QatarEnergy LNG is currently undergoing a massive expansion taking its LNG production to 142 MTPA and scaling up supporting infrastructure. The scale and complexity of current operations and future development bring significant challenges to managing our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions footprint. Environmental protection and sustainability are a critical global imperative, reshaping industries worldwide, with LNG playing a pivotal role in the global transition to lower carbon energy sources. As the world’s premier LNG company, environmental sustainability is engrained in the QatarEnergy LNG’s vision and as part of its comprehensive Environmental Strategy launched in 2021, the company has developed multiple initiatives to reduce its GHG emissions. For our existing brownfield sites, we have focused on flare reduction through multiple projects such as Jetty Boil-off Gas (JBOG) capture, purge gas reduction, turnaround flare minimization and an extensive passing valve monitoring program; these initiatives have helped reduce our GHG emissions by approximately 3 MTPA. Our current CO2 injection facilities are designed for an injection capacity of 2.2 MTPA capacity and are being enhanced for our operating assets to add injection capacity of 4 MTPA by 2030. Additionally, we are focusing on energy efficiency, reliability improvements, and an extensive methane emission mitigation program catering to Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 expectations. For our upcoming LNG expansion facilities, we continue employing industry best practices and innovative efforts, such as focusing on energy efficiency, heat recovery and reduced flaring. A key mitigation approach inherent in our expansion facility design is the use of CO2 capture and storage where-in we plan to inject ~3.2 MTPA CO2. In summary, between 2013, which is our baseline year and up to 2030, we will have reduced our GHG emissions by approximately 13 MTA, helping us meet our strategic target of 20% reduction in GHG intensity. The proposed paper will showcase our sustained efforts, journey, and challenges related to GHG emissions management and reduction as captured above covering both our existing and upcoming LNG expansion facilities.
Kevin Birn
Chair
Head of Carbon Research & The Center of Emissions Excellence
S&P Global Commodity Insights
A novel membrane-based process enables the simultaneous reduction of SO₂ emissions and CO₂ capture from sulfur recovery unit (SRU) tail gas streams.
During acid gas removal from natural gas—whether to meet pipeline specifications or for further processing such as liquid recovery or nitrogen removal—CO₂ is captured alongside H₂S and sent to the Claus unit. Within the Claus unit, H₂S is converted into elemental sulfur for safe disposal. However, CO₂ is typically released into the atmosphere via the thermal oxidizer downstream of the Claus tail gas treatment unit. H2S-selective amines tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) is deployed downstream of the SRU to assure compliance with sulfur emission specs in the stack. While post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies, such as amine-based systems, can be employed downstream of the TGTU. Amine-based technologies are bulky and energy-intensive due to operation at near-atmospheric conditions.
Saudi Aramco has patented a new membrane-based process that simultaneously achieves both efficient H₂S removal from tail gas and CO₂ capture. This process utilizes special commercially available membranes: H2S-selective membranes, and CO2-selective membranes, hence it is referred to as Membrane Tail Gas Treatment (MTGT) process.
The hydrogenation and quench tower sections remain similar to those found in conventional amine-based tail gas treatment systems. However, the innovation begins downstream of the quench tower, where the tail gas stream is compressed to 15 bar and directed to MTGT, where its configuration of H₂S- and CO₂-selective membranes is optimized with the required compression to:
By integrating the tail gas treatment with CO₂ capture, the required compression step is optimized, providing a cost-effective solution for both processes.
Potential applications of this technology will be presented.
During acid gas removal from natural gas—whether to meet pipeline specifications or for further processing such as liquid recovery or nitrogen removal—CO₂ is captured alongside H₂S and sent to the Claus unit. Within the Claus unit, H₂S is converted into elemental sulfur for safe disposal. However, CO₂ is typically released into the atmosphere via the thermal oxidizer downstream of the Claus tail gas treatment unit. H2S-selective amines tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) is deployed downstream of the SRU to assure compliance with sulfur emission specs in the stack. While post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies, such as amine-based systems, can be employed downstream of the TGTU. Amine-based technologies are bulky and energy-intensive due to operation at near-atmospheric conditions.
Saudi Aramco has patented a new membrane-based process that simultaneously achieves both efficient H₂S removal from tail gas and CO₂ capture. This process utilizes special commercially available membranes: H2S-selective membranes, and CO2-selective membranes, hence it is referred to as Membrane Tail Gas Treatment (MTGT) process.
The hydrogenation and quench tower sections remain similar to those found in conventional amine-based tail gas treatment systems. However, the innovation begins downstream of the quench tower, where the tail gas stream is compressed to 15 bar and directed to MTGT, where its configuration of H₂S- and CO₂-selective membranes is optimized with the required compression to:
- Reject nitrogen with acceptable H2S content to meet the SO2 spec in the stack.
- Separate H₂S rich stream that is recycled to the furnace reactor or upstream of the preheater of the first catalytic converter, depending on the Claus unit operation and quality of its feedstock.
- Capture CO₂ with minimal contaminants, ensuring H₂S remains below 200 ppm for safety and corrosion control, and nitrogen stays below 2% to avoid phase envelope issues in case CO₂ is reinjected into saline aquifers.
By integrating the tail gas treatment with CO₂ capture, the required compression step is optimized, providing a cost-effective solution for both processes.
Potential applications of this technology will be presented.
Reducing Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions from industrial point sources is a critical component of achieving net-zero targets. However, many carbon utilization technologies rely on purified CO₂ streams, which are costly and energy-intensive to obtain due to requirements for capture, compression, and purification. This work presents a novel electrochemical system that integrates CO₂ capture and conversion into a single step, enabling the direct use of low-purity CO₂ streams (~10% concentration), such as those found in industrial flue gases, for the production of ethylene—a widely used platform chemical in the manufacture of polymers and fuels.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
The system utilizes a specially engineered electrode composed of two key components: a porous carbon layer derived from waste materials to facilitate CO₂ adsorption, and a catalytic copper surface to drive the electrochemical conversion of captured CO₂ to ethylene using renewable electricity. This integration eliminates the need for separate CO₂ capture and purification infrastructure, thereby streamlining the process and reducing associated costs and energy demands. Under simulated flue gas conditions, the system achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 55% for ethylene production with stable performance over extended operational periods.
The modular and retrofittable nature of this design allows for direct implementation into existing industrial emission streams without substantial modifications to upstream processes. By utilizing on-site CO₂ emissions as a feedstock, the system has the potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase ethylene yields, with preliminary data indicating yield enhancements of up to 25% when operated under integrated conditions.
A comparative techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the integrated system relative to conventional two-step approaches that separate capture and conversion. Results indicate that up to 35% of the total system cost in the conventional process can be attributed to intermediate CO₂ handling steps. In contrast, the integrated configuration has the potential to reduce overall costs by up to 79%, presenting a promising route for low-emission chemical production that aligns with current climate goals.
While scale-up activities are currently underway, this integrated approach demonstrates the feasibility of combining CO₂ management and value-added chemical production within a single device architecture, offering a new pathway toward distributed, emissions-integrated systems. By addressing CO₂ purity constraints and infrastructure limitations, the technology provides a scalable route for mitigating emissions in hard-to-abate sectors while contributing to broader circular economy and decarbonization objectives.
Co-author/s:
Md. Kibria, Associate Professor, University of Calgary.
During the extraction of oil and natural gas, a large amount of excess flammable gas, the majority of which is methane, is often produced. From the perspectives of safety, environmental protection and economy, the excess gas needs to be burned. In today's petroleum industry, with increasingly strict environmental protection regulations introduced by countries around the world and the rising demand from flare users for remote and non-contact monitoring of combustion exhaust gas emissions, the monitoring methods of flare systems urgently need to transform from traditional contact measurements to visual and intelligent monitoring. China's "Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law" clearly stipulates that oil and gas companies must install flare systems to treat associated gas in order to reduce its pollution to the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulates that the combustion efficiency of the torch must reach over 98% to ensure that the associated gas can be fully burned and reduce the emission of harmful gases. Regular monitoring and analysis of the efficiency of torches is an urgent need in the industry at present. This research aims to develop a non-contact system based on infrared imaging and visual recognition. By remotely monitoring the torch combustion and combining the characteristics of the flame and the emitted gas, it realizes the refined calculation of indicators such as the torch combustion efficiency. Specifically, in this study, through a specially designed optical system and detector, the spectral images of infrared radiation from different substances generated during the torch combustion process were captured and relevant indicators such as the flame combustion coefficient were calculated and transformed. The significance of this research lies in that the downstream system can further expand and integrate the automatic control module for the combustion-supporting agent. By real-time analysis of the flame combustion efficiency and the proportion of escaping gas, the injection amount of combustion-supporting air or steam can be fed back and adjusted to achieve dynamic closed-loop control of flame stability and combustion efficiency. It can not only enhance the combustion efficiency of torches and thus environmental compliance, but also provide a new path for green refining and chemical industry as well as intelligent emission management.
QatarEnergy LNG produces 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and ~14 MTPA of sales gas. The company also operates two condensate refineries processing over 306,000 barrels per stream day of products. Associated facilities include two helium refineries, sulfur granulation, and storage and loading facilities for LNG and hydrocarbon products in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. QatarEnergy LNG is currently undergoing a massive expansion taking its LNG production to 142 MTPA and scaling up supporting infrastructure. The scale and complexity of current operations and future development bring significant challenges to managing our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions footprint. Environmental protection and sustainability are a critical global imperative, reshaping industries worldwide, with LNG playing a pivotal role in the global transition to lower carbon energy sources. As the world’s premier LNG company, environmental sustainability is engrained in the QatarEnergy LNG’s vision and as part of its comprehensive Environmental Strategy launched in 2021, the company has developed multiple initiatives to reduce its GHG emissions. For our existing brownfield sites, we have focused on flare reduction through multiple projects such as Jetty Boil-off Gas (JBOG) capture, purge gas reduction, turnaround flare minimization and an extensive passing valve monitoring program; these initiatives have helped reduce our GHG emissions by approximately 3 MTPA. Our current CO2 injection facilities are designed for an injection capacity of 2.2 MTPA capacity and are being enhanced for our operating assets to add injection capacity of 4 MTPA by 2030. Additionally, we are focusing on energy efficiency, reliability improvements, and an extensive methane emission mitigation program catering to Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 expectations. For our upcoming LNG expansion facilities, we continue employing industry best practices and innovative efforts, such as focusing on energy efficiency, heat recovery and reduced flaring. A key mitigation approach inherent in our expansion facility design is the use of CO2 capture and storage where-in we plan to inject ~3.2 MTPA CO2. In summary, between 2013, which is our baseline year and up to 2030, we will have reduced our GHG emissions by approximately 13 MTA, helping us meet our strategic target of 20% reduction in GHG intensity. The proposed paper will showcase our sustained efforts, journey, and challenges related to GHG emissions management and reduction as captured above covering both our existing and upcoming LNG expansion facilities.
