Mopco, ThyssenKrupp to set up region’s first carbon capture project: Misr Fertilizers Production Company (Mopco) signed a cooperation agreement and an MoU with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp to develop a USD 220 mn carbon capture project, the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, according to an Oil Ministry statement.

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A step toward lower emissions: The project will help Mopco capture CO2 from its ammonia plant. The project is expected to cut emissions by 150k tons per year, increase urea production by 10%, and improve natural gas efficiency by another 10%. The project will also upgrade Mopco’s three urea plants to produce TGU, a key component in AdBlue, which is used to reduce harmful nitrogen oxides from vehicle emissions.

A helping hand: The agreement will see ThyssenKrupp conduct the feasibility studies needed for the project, as well as handle the engineering designs and provide technical support.

Carbon capture? Carbon capture, storage, and utilization units trap CO2 that is released by factories and power plants, preventing it from reaching the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can either be used in the production of fuels, chemicals, concrete, and other materials — or it can be stored deep in the earth. Carbon capture makes it possible to make polluting industries a little less polluting and opens up potential additional revenue streams, but it’s a new technology that is still expensive.

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