AkzoNobel invests in green salt transport for chlorine

27-Apr-2010 - Netherlands

AkzoNobel industrial chemicals and the Nederlandse Particuliere Rijnvaart Centrale (NPRC, a cooperative of independent barge owners in the Netherlands) announced that they have signed a five-year contract which will significantly reduce NOx and soot particle emissions from barges used to transport salt from the salt plant in Delfzijl to the chlorine production plant in Rotterdam.

Under the agreement, the owners of the five dedicated inland barges (each of them with a capacity of 2800 t) used for the supply of salt to AkzoNobel’s Rotterdam chlorine plant, will have their engines reconstructed. The installation of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system will result in an annual NOx reduction of 78% - from about 100 tons per year to 22 tons. In addition, filter technology will reduce emissions of soot particles by 98% (from 5 tons to 0.1 ton per year). AkzoNobel will pay a surcharge per ton which will help the barge owners to cover the investment over the forthcoming years. In addition, they will receive substantial subsidiaries from the Dutch Government.

Says Knut Schwalenberg, General Manager of AkzoNobel’s Chlor-Alkali business: “With this agreement, we will achieve an impressive emission reduction. In fact, this solution benefits all parties involved: We can improve our environmental performance significantly, as the NOx emissions of the total transports arranged by our Chlor-Alkali business (ship, train and truck) will be reduced by about 20%. The barge owners will enhance the value of their ships with state-of-the-art technology. And the general public will benefit from cleaner air.”

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/116820/akzonobel-invests-in-green-salt-transport-for-chlorine.html