HUL pilots production of near-zero emission ingredients in laundry powder

21 / 11 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) collaborates with leading chemical companies TFL and Fertiglobe (the strategic partnership between OCI Global and ADNOC), to pilot the production of near-zero emissions synthetic soda ash – a key ingredient in laundry powder.

There are three elements to this pilot. The soda ash is made with some of the first green ammonia produced using green hydrogen from renewable energy. The boilers used to make the soda ash have been shifted from coal to renewable energy (cashew kernels). And the CO2 produced by the boilers is captured and used in the manufacturing process, replacing CO2 that would otherwise have to be procured.

The combination of these three elements results in the production of soda ash with a near-zero GHG footprint.

“The pilot addresses greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the product’s (soda ash) manufacture and we believe it is a world first,” says Deepak Subramanian, Home Care General Manager, South Asia. “Doing this while delighting consumers with great, affordable products is at the heart of our strategy.”

This collaboration between Unilever and the chemicals sector is an example of how it is bringing different parties in our supply chain together to achieve its net zero ambition while, at the same time, delivering benefits for its partners.

“This is one of the first examples of how it can be used to reduce CO2 emissions for an established industrial process,” Ahmed El-Hoshy, CEO of Fertiglobe and OCI Global.

As Ashwin Muthiah, Chairman of the TFL Group, explained “To drive the emission reductions required in the chemicals industry, we are working together to develop new technologies and processes. We’re excited to be partnering with Unilever to produce industry-leading near-zero emissions synthetic soda ash with a view to it being scaled up.”

This is echoed by Ahmed El-Hoshy, CEO of Fertiglobe and OCI Global, who added “This exciting development is at the forefront of the home care industry’s utilizing green ammonia as an emerging decarbonization tool. This is one of the first examples of how it can be used to reduce CO2 emissions for an established industrial process.”

Almost 60% of greenhouse gas (GHG) impact comes from the raw materials and ingredients of the products. In Home Care business, which relies heavily on chemicals, this is closer to 80%.

That’s why, with a commitment to achieve net zero emissions across Unilever’s value chain by 2039, the company is working with supplier partners to radically reduce its GHG impact upstream of its operations.