Innovative low caRbon hydrogen and methanol productIon by large Scale carbon capture

Introduction

Sustainable hydrogen and e-methanol production through deep refinery decarbonization

The IRIS project aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the Agioi Theodoroi refinery by applying carbon capture technology on its Steam Methane Reformer (SMR). This will allow the refinery to become a large ultra-low-carbon hydrogen producer.

Carbon Capture and Utilization

The bulk of the captured carbon will be sequestered in an offshore storage facility in the North Aegean Sea, while a small amount will be utilized to produce 10,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year. This e-methanol will be used as an energy carrier for both mobility and industrial applications. The implementation of the project will result in the avoidance of 89% of the relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the reference scenario.

Innovative Aspects

The IRIS project will incorporate a number of industrial processes on a scale not applied before at an independent refinery. Its main innovative aspect is the integration of advanced technologies, engagement of multiple stakeholders, and the formation of the basis for a first-of-its-kind South-eastern European model plant for carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS).

The post-combustion capture technology that has been selected for IRIS will allow for both unperturbed hydrogen production and continuous high-pressure steam generation. The CO2 fraction contained in the SMR flue gas will be captured at a rate of 95%.

Applications of Hydrogen and E-Methanol

Besides its use within the refinery, the produced hydrogen will be used as fuel in transport applications. E-methanol will be directed to maritime applications as a low carbon substitute for marine fuels.

As a result, the IRIS project as a whole will avoid 8.58 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent absolute emissions over the first ten years of operation. In this way, the environmental impact of the project will be maximized, achieving both explicit decarbonization through emission reduction and implicit decarbonization through low-carbon, EU Taxonomy compliant, fuel production.

Contribution to European Goals

The project will contribute to the European goals to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It will notably contribute to the Net-Zero Industry Act goal of achieving 50 Mt/y CO2 storage capacity by 2030, as well as to the REPowerEU goal of reducing fossil fuel consumption in industry and transport.

Scalability and Economic Impact

Furthermore, IRIS will promote the scalability of the CCUS chain to two more refinery units, which could further decrease the total refinery carbon footprint by another 25%. Through communication and dissemination activities, other regional refineries could also develop similar decarbonization strategies or contribute towards creating a shared infrastructure hub, extending the impact of the project beyond its current boundaries.

IRIS will also positively impact the regional economy, creating up to 2,000 job opportunities during construction and 21 permanent jobs during the project’s operating lifetime.