The innovative CO₂ capture installation, used at the CIECH plant in Inowrocław, based on the carbon dioxide capture and recovery method in the sodium carbonate (soda ash) production process, has undergone the first stage of modernisation, which has resulted in an increase in CO₂ recovery to 6 thousand tonnes per year. This is yet another step to increase savings due to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, but also resulting from the reduction of production waste and the amount of raw materials used – coke and limestone. The implementation of the solution, developed by the Research & Development Department of CIECH and the Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal, in the Group's soda plants is an element of the Group's strategy to reduce CO₂ emissions.

The CO₂ capture installation launched in Inowrocław is the result of many years of work of scientists and specialists from CIECH. Its construction was completed in 2019. As a pilot project, the CO₂ recycling installation was commissioned two years ago, and in 2021 it was launched in continuous operation mode at the Inowrocław plant.

The currently planned and implemented modernisation of the installation, consisting in the modification of the absorption column, is the result of extensive analyses and research on the possibilities of optimising the process of recycling CO₂ from soda production. The works allowed for the reduction of the amount of raw materials needed for the production of sodium carbonate. The first of the two stages of modernisation of the installation, constructed by CIECH in collaboration with the Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal (the “IChPW”), made it possible to improve the efficiency of CO₂ recovery by over a thousand tonnes per year, and in consequence - to the level of over 6 thousand tonnes per annum.

Subsequent plans for its improvement may enable us to increase the scale of carbon dioxide recovery to the level of 10 thousand tonnes per year. Currently, CIECH is analysing the possibilities of introducing similar solutions on installations in the Group’s other soda plants. Reducing CO₂ emissions entails measurable benefits for the environment, and at the same time, lowering the costs related to the purchase of certificates, the price of which has been systematically growing for years.

- The research and engineering works carried out for years have allowed us to gradually increase the efficiency of our in-house installation for the capture of carbon dioxide in the soda production process. The project, five years after its launch - from the research phase, testing, to permanent implementation in the production process - brings very good results. In addition to lower CO₂ emissions, we also use less raw materials, which has a positive impact on production efficiency. We are still improving the process we have developed, but we are pleased that the results we achieve using these innovative solutions are already better than expected – says Mirosław Skowron, Member of the Management Board of CIECH S.A.

The Group obtained co-financing from European Funds for its CO₂ capture project of nearly PLN 5 million (Smart Growth Operational Programme, Measure 1.2 Sectoral R&D Programmes). The cost of the entire project is almost PLN 15 million. Scientists from the Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal supported the CIECH team in the conceptual, research and implementation works. The experts from the Gas Treatment Team at IChPW have many years of experience in implementing CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation) technologies in the energy sector and other industries. Their qualifications and expertise were particularly useful during the project implementation at the CIECH Soda Polska plant in Inowrocław. The developed solution is the subject of a number of national and European patents. 

The implementation of this innovative technology in the Inowrocław plant is an element of the ambitious plan to reduce CO₂ emissions by CIECH by 30% until 2026, included in the Group's ESG Strategy. The document presents the activities pursued by the company from the point of view of its impact on environmental protection, care for society and the highest standards of corporate governance. In the ESG Strategy presented in the spring of 2021, CIECH also committed itself to achieving climate neutrality in 2040, abandoning coal in the energy production process by 2033 and implementing the idea of a circular economy in everyday business activities. 

Kontakt dla mediów:

Mirosław Kuk, Rzecznik Prasowy Grupy CIECH

miroslaw.kuk@ciechgroup.com, tel. +48 723 66 86 86.

Główne media społecznościowe Grupy CIECH:

LinkedIn: https://pl.linkedin.com/company/ciech-sa/,

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RzecznikCIECH.

CIECH to międzynarodowa, rozwijająca się grupa chemiczna z silną pozycją na rynkach globalnych. Jest drugim producentem sody kalcynowanej i oczyszczonej w Unii Europejskiej, największym producentem soli warzonej w Polsce, największym dostawcą krzemianów sodu w Europie, największym polskim producentem środków ochrony roślin oraz wiodącym w Polsce producentem pianek poliuretanowych. Posiada fabryki w Polsce, Niemczech i Rumunii oraz zatrudnia ponad 3 tysiące osób w całej UE.

Od 2005 roku spółka CIECH S.A. notowana jest na Giełdzie Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie, a od 2016 roku, równocześnie, na jednej z największych giełd w Europie - Börse Frankfurt. Rozwój Grupy wspiera inwestor strategiczny – Kulczyk Investments.

Jako jeden z największych polskich eksporterów, CIECH wysyła swoje towary na niemal wszystkie kontynenty. Powstają z nich artykuły niezbędne w codziennym życiu milionów ludzi na całym świecie, dlatego Grupa jest ważnym elementem wielu gałęzi gospodarki – budownictwa, motoryzacji, rolnictwa, przemysłu chemicznego, spożywczego czy farmaceutycznego.

CIECH łączy nowoczesne podejście do biznesu z dbałością o zrównoważony rozwój. Od 2020 roku jest członkiem United Nations Global Compact – największej na świecie inicjatywy skupiającej przedsiębiorstwa odpowiedzialne społecznie, środowiskowo i ekonomicznie.

Więcej informacji o Grupie CIECH można znaleźć na stronach www.ciechgroup.com.