Atlas Copco boosts carbon storage in a biofuel plant in Europe

Atlas Copco Gas and Process will be supplying CO2 compression equipment to one of Europe’s most ambitious renewable biofuels plant projects in the Netherlands, the company has announced.

The equipment will be used in an 820,000-tons-a-year biofuels facility, located at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and support the goal of Atlas Copco Gas and Process of driving the decarbonisation of hydrocarbon processes and the road to net-zero emissions.

“Once completed, the facility will be among Europe’s largest for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and renewable naptha made from biowaste,” Atlas Copco Gas and Process said in a statement.

Formerly known as the Pernis refinery, Shell had announced plans for the facility last year, which is expected to start production in 2024.

As per the company’s calculations, a facility of such size could produce enough renewable diesel to avoid 2,800,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions a year – the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the roads in Europe.

CO2 produced as a by-product from different plant processes will be compressed to a pressure of 42.5 bar by the Atlas Copco Gas and Process’ five-stage turbocompressor, the company said. The new facility will help both the Netherlands and the rest of Europe in meeting internationally binding emissions reduction targets, it said.