Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, announced that a deoxygenation catalyst from its EnviCat Green series was selected for a major green ammonia project in China. The catalyst will be used to remove trace oxygen from green H₂ produced at the facility, before conversion into green ammonia. Carbon-free production of ammonia greatly reduces the environmental impact of this valuable base chemical needed for vital applications, such as fertilizer production. Green ammonia is also expected to play a key role in the world’s energy transition, offering versatile applications in transportation, power and H₂ supply.

Clariant’s EnviCat Green catalyst demonstrates an excellent gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), a ratio of the gas rate per unit of catalyst, facilitating efficient deoxygenation processes. Thus, the process requires a considerably smaller reactor for oxygen removal, which not only saves equipment costs, but also offers high flexibility regarding transportation and installation. As a result, producers benefit from significant CAPEX and OPEX savings.

Xaver Karsunke, Vice President of Clariant Specialty Catalysts, said, “The success of a global transition toward sustainable energy relies greatly on the collaboration of leading industry specialists. With our extensive experience in H₂ purification technologies, and our innovative EnviCat Green series, we are proud to contribute to this project and others that support net-zero solutions like green ammonia.”

As decarbonization momentum builds globally, demand has accelerated for emission-reducing technologies across sectors. Clariant's high-performance EnviCat Green series deoxygenation catalyst provides critical support by reducing contaminant levels, enabling the production of high-purity H₂, which is essential for next-generation energy. Besides high GHSV and related cost benefits, EnviCat Green also offers great efficiency in removing oxygen impurities down to 5 ppmv or even 0.1 ppmv, if required. Thanks to its outstanding activity and mechanical strength, the catalyst enables effective oxygen removal over a long lifetime. The EnviCat series has been in commercial operation for over 20 years, with more than 1,000 installations in various purification applications.