Overview
The Rhodia N20 project consisted of installation of a dedicated facility to convert at high temperature the nitrous oxide (N2O) into nitrogen based on the process of thermal decomposition. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project used methodology ACM0021 – version 7 – Baseline methodology for decomposition of N2O from existing adipic acid production plants. The N2O was treated at a very high temperature (1,300 C) to ensure its complete decomposition and minimize the formation of unwanted by-products. The flue gas coming from the thermal oxidizer was used to produce superheated steam, which is fed into the existing on-site steam network. The project was located at the Rhodia Energia Brasil Ltda plant in Paulínia, a town located in the state of Sao Paulo.