FLSmidth and Haldor Topsoe sign cooperation agreement

Haldor Topsoe A/S, a leader in catalysis, and FLSmidth signed a cooperation agreement that marks the beginning of a joined effort to commercialise a newly-developed catalytic filter bag technology.

The product will carry the brand name EnviroTex^TM catalytic filter bags and is capable of removing dust, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in one integrated process, FLSmidth said in a statement. Industries including cement, power, biomass, waste incineration as well as glass and metal production are the target customer.

Over the past four years the two parties have been working closely together on developing the EnviroTex^TM  technology. "Developing this product has been a combination of the very best that Topsoe and FLSmidth have to offer from an R&D perspective. By combining FLSmidth's expertise in filtration in industrial processes with Topsoe's leadership in catalysis, we have created a unique product that will allow customers to meet increasingly stringent environmental legislation at a fraction of the operating cost that even the best available technologies offer today," says Bjerne S. Clausen, CEO in Haldor Topsoe.

The companies higlight that the key differentiating factor about the patent-pending catalytic filter bags lies in the fact that EnviroTex^TM consists of three layers of filter fabric. Each layer contains a tailored catalyst optimized for the removal of specific kinds of compounds from the off-gas that passes through it.

"The three layer structure is unique. Not only because it provides us with the flexibility to tailor different catalytic combinations for different industries. It also makes it possible to handle the removal of several critical compounds in one integrated process. This can significantly reduce the cost of off-gas cleaning because today's standard is to use separate stand-alone systems to address removal of specific compounds. This translates into complexity and higher customer operating cost", adds Mr Clausen.

Market benefits
"Initially we believe the US market will benefit from the product, because cement producers here are faced with immediate challenge in order to meet new regulatory requirements that have been issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency and will take effect 1 September 2015. In the longer term China may hold an even greater market potential as stricter emission legislation is also being imposed there. Therefore EnviroTex^TM adds to both companies' product lines being one of many solutions to the need for emissions reduction and improved energy efficiency, “ says Thomas Schulz, CEO in FLSmidth.

As part of the agreement between FLSmidth and Topsoe, the new product will be manufactured at FLSmidth's bag production facilities in Georgia, USA. The high quality filter bags will then be catalysed and assembled at Topsoe's catalyst production site in Houston, Texas. In fact Topsoe's production site will be expanded with an entirely new production line dedicated to the production of EnviroTex(TM) catalytic filter bags. The goal is to complete construction of this facility by end-2015.