The Dortmund-based ThyssenKrupp EPC contractors have supplied and commissioned a plant for the production of 3,500 tonnes per day of urea solution in Sluiskil, Netherlands, for Yara of Norway, the world's biggest producer of urea. The plant, which took three years to build, has now been handed over to the customer. Yara has invested 400 million euros in its construction.

The plant meets the latest environmental standards as well as best available technology standards. There are even special collection systems which, should the plant malfunction, ensure that no hazardous substances escape into the environment. What really makes the plant so remarkable, though, is that some of the urea it produces will not be used as fertiliser but as an aqueous urea solution to treat diesel exhaust fumes.

This technology, which is known as AdBlue®, reduces NOx emissions. This urea solution is now being sold at service stations, for example, and is marketed by Yara under the name of Air1®. It enables the latest models of commercial vehicles to achieve the maximum permissible limit values specified in Eurocode 5 and in a few years time Eurocode 6. The required feedstocks are ammonia and carbon diox-ide, which are both available at the site in Sluiskil. The urea plant will obviate the need to transport the ammonia and the CO2 that is generated will be used in an environment-friendly manner.

The technology was licensed by the Dutch company, Stamicarbon. ThyssenKrupp Uhde was responsible for the engineering, supply of all equipment and the construction of the plant on a fixed-price, turnkey basis. Lothar Jungemann, a member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Uhde, said, "With this project we have proved that an intelligent technology, environmental protection and economic interests are compatible, even in Europe. At the same time, ThyssenKrupp Uhde has proved that it is able to satisfy even the most discerning of customers."