Uhde EnviNO(x)(R) technology for NOX and N2O abatement: a contribution to reducing emissions from nitric acid plants

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from nitric acid production worldwide have been estimated at about 400,000 t/a, equivalent to 120 million t/a CO(2)e, making nitric acid manufacture the largest single industrial process source of N2O. Uhde's NOX and N2O abatement technology has been developed to permit high rates of N2O abatement for tail gas temperatures between 330 degrees C and 600 degrees C. For plants with a cooler tail gas it is possible to raise the temperature to a suitable level by tail gas preheating. A large proportion of the world's nitric acid plants can thus be equipped with Uhde's N2O abatement technology. Existing abatement units routinely achieve N2O removal rates of 98-99% and above. This N2O abatement technology can thus play a significant role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions.