Nutrien wins Ohio Chemistry Technology Council excellence award

At Nutrien, our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in nitrogen production by one million tonnes CO2 e by the end of 2023, on an intensity basis vs. our 2018 baseline emissions intensity. To help do this, the team at our Nitrogen facility in Lima, Ohio installed nitrogen oxide (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement technology.

By replacing the existing NOx abator with a new NOx/N2O abator, the site can now reduce N2O by more than 950 tons annually or approximately 285,000 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e) tons per year. This is a greater than 90 percent reduction from the previous abatement process and is roughly equal to the annual GHG emissions from 56,000 gasoline powered cars.

Lima’s new abator received the 2023 Eagle Award for Excellence from the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council (OCTC). This award recognizes exceptional performances in environmental, health, safety and security by companies in Ohio’s chemical industry, and is in special recognition of Nutrien’s exemplary commitment to excellence in environmental performance.

“This award is the highest honor, and we’re very proud and excited to be named the winner,” says Peter Henning, Superintendent, Process Engineering. “Although we’ve won other awards from the OCTC in previous years, this is the first Eagle Award ever earned by Nutrien’s Lima Nitrogen team.” 

The new abator can handle both NOx and N2O abatement. The multi-step process starts with the NOx being reduced with ammonia to form nitrogen gas and water vapor, effectively removing all the NOx. Next, N2O is reduced with natural gas to form nitrogen gas, water vapor and small amounts of carbon dioxide. Natural gas is not being burned in this process – it’s a chemical reaction, so there are no flames in the abator.

“I’m proud of the team at Lima for prioritizing Nutrien’s sustainability goals with this project,” says Todd Sutton, General Manager. “We’re committed to reducing the environmental impacts of our operations, and we greatly appreciate the recognition and support by the OCTC for this work.”