Ecopetrol Selects Honeywell for Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture Study in Colombia

Oil & Gas Company Headquartered in South America Selects Honeywell for Carbon Capture Study at Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Refinery Units

Honeywell, a technology company providing industry-specific solutions, announced that it has been selected by Ecopetrol S.A. (Ecopetrol), the largest company in Colombia and one of the leading diversified energy companies on the American continent, to develop a front-end engineering study for a demonstration of a Modular Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture (ASCC) unit, which will be used to evaluate the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from Ecopetrol’s Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units.

FCC units are the main conversion process elements within refineries, enabling the production of gasoline and propylene. These processes are also significant sources of CO₂ emissions, accounting for 15-20% of total emissions in a typical FCC-based refinery ¹ and for Ecopetrol’s refineries ². Honeywell UOP’s ASCC technology is designed to capture CO₂ from flue gases, which are more challenging to treat due to the low concentration of CO₂ and low pressure inherent to these sources.

In the solvent carbon capture process, CO₂ is absorbed into an amine solvent and then sent to a stripper where CO₂ is separated from the solvent and then transported for use or geological storage. Honeywell’s technology has been specifically designed for flue gas applications, allowing for over 95% CO₂ capture ³, and can be adapted in existing plants or included as part of a new facility.

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The goal of the demonstration unit project is to capture thirty tons of CO₂ per day from Ecopetrol’s FCC flue gas. If implemented, the unit will provide valuable insights into the performance of this technology in reducing emissions, with learnings that can be used to inform the deployment of commercial-scale units in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) service.

Ecopetrol is the first company in the O&G sector in Latin America to set a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for scopes 1 and 2. As a medium-term goal, by 2030, Ecopetrol aims to reduce emissions from scopes 1 and 2 by 25% compared to 2019, with the help of Honeywell’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture (ASCC) technology to meet these targets.

“The use of Honeywell’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture (ASCC) technology can effectively reduce Ecopetrol’s environmental impact and help prevent CO₂ emissions from entering the atmosphere,” said Barry Glickman, Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “Honeywell’s ready-to-use ASCC technology produces pure, storable carbon dioxide and helps companies worldwide achieve their carbon reduction goals.”

Today, 15 million tons per year of CO₂ are being captured and utilized in storage/use applications through Honeywell’s various carbon capture solutions. Currently, the company is capable of storing 40 million tons per year through its installed projects worldwide. ⁴

Honeywell is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment is based on the company’s history of significantly reducing greenhouse gas intensity, as well as its long history of innovation to help its customers achieve their environmental and social goals. Approximately 60% of Honeywell’s investment in research and development of new products is directed towards products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers. For more information on Honeywell’s carbon capture solutions, visit https://pmt.honeywell.com/us/en/solutions/sustainability/carbon-capture.

About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) provides industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; building and industrial control technologies; and global performance materials. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, factories, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information about Honeywell, visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About Ecopetrol

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the leading integrated energy companies on the American continent, with over 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of hydrocarbon production for most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, holding leading positions in the petrochemical and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA’s shares, the company is involved in power transmission, real-time systems management (XM), and the concession of the coastal highway Barranquilla – Cartagena. Internationally, Ecopetrol has interests in strategic basins on the American continent, with drilling and exploration operations in the United States (Permian Basin and Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in power transmission businesses in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, highway concessions in Chile, and in telecommunications.

• ¹ Wood Mackenzie: Refinery Emissions: Implications of the Carbon Tax and Mitigation Options, November 2021
• ² Wood Mackenzie: Refinery Emissions: Implications of the Carbon Tax and Mitigation Options, November 2021
• ³ Pilot plant testing at NCCC confirms greater than 98% CO₂ capture is achievable.
• ⁴ Includes Honeywell technology capacity deployed (chemical and physical membranes and solvents) in installed projects enabling CO₂ capture from gas streams, of which 15 million tons of captured CO₂ are being used for enhanced oil recovery annually.