LG Chem New Plant Announced to Reduce Carbon Emissions Using Proprietary Technology

In a bid to reduce carbon emissions by 50% and produce raw materials for plastics, LG Chem has announced today that it will construct an innovative carbon mitigation facility that will produce raw materials for plastics using carbon dioxide to build its foundation to achieve 2050 Net Zero. 

According to the firm, it will construct a DRM (Dry Reforming of Methane) facility which can produce plastics using carbon dioxide captured at the plant and the byproduct gas, methane. Once completed, LG Chem will be the first company in Korea to commercialize DRM facilities using proprietary technology-based processes and catalysts.

How LG Chem New Plant will Reduce Carbon Emissions Using Proprietary Technology

DRM is a sort of CCU (carbon dioxide, capture, and utilization) technology and a cutting-edge carbon mitigation plant that produces primary plastic materials like polycarbonates while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50%. Instead of obtaining licenses from outside sources, the company will use its technologies to create this DRM plant, even creating the catalysts required for carbon dioxide conversion.

Regardless, it should be noted that due to concerns with catalyst performance reducing quickly during operation, it has been difficult to commercialize DRM up until this point. To solve this problem, LG Chem used proprietary developed techniques and catalytic technology, greatly enhancing the durability of catalysts.

By 2023, the Daesan Plant in Chungcheongnam-do will have a 1,000-ton pilot plant for the DRM facility. Plans are for expanding the scale of the project through 2026 after the process technologies and catalysts created utilizing proprietary technology have been verified.

In particular, the Company conducted ongoing research and development on novel catalysts while developing and launching catalysts that were crucial for the production of its hallmark eco-friendly goods, such as polyolefin elastomers and carbon nanotubes.

KUK LAE, NOH, President of the Petrochemicals Company, asserted that LG Chem has consistently aspired to play a leading role in carbon mitigation and sustainable innovation technologies in the global chemical industry.