Germany is starting a new initiative to advance climate action in the manufacture of nitric acid. Nitric acid is a nitrogen compound used all over the world to produce fertilisers. The goal is to stop laughing gas emissions in this industrial sector worldwide by 2020. This initiative is being presented in the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference and is open for likeminded parties and countries to join.
The manufacture of nitric acid releases laughing gas (nitrous oxide, N20) as a by-product, a greenhouse gas whose impact on the climate is 264 times greater than CO2. The goal is for all facilities used for manufacturing nitric acid to be equipped with abatement technology for nitrous oxide by 2020. This technology has already been developed and is affordable. Additionally, retrofitting existing industrial facilities is simple. The abatement costs amount to an average of around one to three euros per avoided tonne of CO2 equivalent.
Federal Minister for the Environment Barbara Hendricks commented: "With our initiative we are aiming to stop emissions from an entire sector. When manufacturing nitric acid the release of greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided with little effort and low costs. By 2020 we can save emissions with the climate impact of more than 200 million tonnes of CO2. Against the backdrop of increasingly serious climate change we cannot afford to ignore this potential."
In Europe, nitrous oxide emissions from nitric acid production are already being avoided through emissions trading. Catalysers are being used that are replaced regularly. However, in many developing countries, but also in individual industrialised countries, emissions are still being released.
Germany will provide information and advice, and offer financial support to partner countries. The condition is that partners are willing to continue abatement of those emissions after 2020 by taking their own actions. Germany invites other donor countries and countries interested in transformation to form a broad action group for the global abatement of emissions from nitric acid production. Stakeholders can show their support for the initiative by signing a declaration.