SK Innovation and Energy has selected Honeywell UOP for a feasibility study to retrofit SK’s hydrogen plant with carbon capture. SK will explore capturing and sequestering 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from existing hydrogen production assets at its refinery in Ulsan, Korea using a range of Honeywell UOP technologies. The CO2 will be re-injected into depleted natural gas reservoirs, beginning in 2026.

 

“We selected Honeywell UOP for this feasibility study because of their multiple proven cost-effective technologies for the capture of CO2 and hydrogen purification that will assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Seonjun Lee, head of Institute of Environmental Science & Technology of SK Innovation. “This project falls in line with the carbon neutrality initiative that South Korea has pledged to achieve by 2050.”

 

“With the global demand for hydrogen expected to grow significantly within the next decade, hydrogen producers need a low-cost carbon capture system to help them meet their sustainability goals,” said Ben Owens, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “Honeywell UOP is uniquely positioned for this feasibility study as our multiple technology offerings for carbon capture based on solvents, membranes, cryogenics, and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) systems can be optimized to meet the project needs.”

 

As one of the leading refineries in Korea, SK Energy produces various petroleum products at the Ulsan Complex, which can refine 840,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and sells them in both domestic and overseas markets.