Nippon Gases invests around €30 million in new plant in Zörbig
State-of-the-art processing of carbon dioxide from renewable sources
Dry ice and CO2 in food grade quality as an important step towards climate neutrality for mobility, food production and agriculture
Stefanie Pötzsch, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Saxony-Anhalt, and Christoph Laumen, Vice President Europe Central Eastern at Nippon Gases, together with the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Mitsuko Shino, today inaugurated a new production facility for CO2 processing by Nippon Gases Germany in Zörbig. Nippon Gases is one of the leading international suppliers of industrial and medical gases. The company invested around €30 million in the new plant, which was supported by the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Economic Affairs with a grant of €3.7 million.
Nippon Gases produces food-grade gaseous and liquefied carbon dioxide as well as dry ice at its Zörbig site. Prior to this refinement process, the carbon dioxide is produced as a residual product of the directly connected bioethanol production facility of Verbio SE. Production in Zörbig is therefore independent of traditional fossil fuel-based production processes. "The new plant in Zörbig demonstrates the strength of our business location: innovation, sustainability and industrial tradition come together perfectly here. Projects like this drive Saxony-Anhalt forward – and we support them with full conviction," said State Secretary for Economic Affairs Stefanie Pötzsch.
CO2emissions into the atmosphere are reduced
Verbio SE produces bioethanol from maize and grain in Zörbig. Thanks to the new Nippon Gases plant, the carbon dioxide produced in the process is processed directly on site. CO(2)emissions into the atmosphere are reduced both through the direct use of the carbon dioxide and by eliminating the transport routes that would otherwise be required between the carbon dioxide source, the refining process and the dry ice production. This eliminates up to 380,000 kilometres of truck journeys per year, resulting in CO₂savings of around 330 tonnes.
An important step towards climate neutrality
"We are an innovative company committed to sustainability and see the production of biogenic carbon dioxide based on bioethanol production as an important step towards decarbonising the food industry, mobility and agriculture," says Christoph Laumen, Vice President Europe Central Eastern at Nippon Gases. "As a gas producer, we are fully committed to the goal of climate neutrality – far beyond this new plant in Zörbig – for example, in the decarbonisation of our own production and supply chain."
For sparkling water, long-life food and cooling
Pure carbon dioxide and dry ice, which is also produced at the site, are required in numerous applications, for example in the food and beverage industry. The beverage industry, for example, uses large quantities of CO2 (carbon dioxide) for the production of sparkling water, soft drinks and beer. The quantity produced in Zörbig would be enough to produce a ¾-litre bottle of sparkling water for every inhabitant of Saxony-Anhalt every day. In addition, many foods are cooled or frozen with the aid of cryogenic CO2 or packaged in gaseous carbon dioxide, which makes them suitable for longer storage. Dry ice is required for food transport, among other things. Other customers for the products manufactured by Nippon Gases in Zörbig include the chemical industry, electrical and semiconductor production, and nurseries.
About Nippon Gases Deutschland GmbH
Nippon Gases is part of Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation and one of the leading companies for industrial and medical gases in Europe. Nippon Sanso Holdings looks back on over 100 years of company history. The company, with almost 20,000 employees and headquarters in Japan, is represented in 30 countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. In Europe, more than 3,500 employees in 14 countries work for Nippon Gases, serving over 150,000 customers and more than 390,000 patients in home care. Nippon Gases is committed to innovation, collaboration and sustainability, adheres to high safety standards and has been recognised for its achievements by leading industrial gases associations. Its commitment to its customers, employees and partners, as well as to the communities in which Nippon Gases operates, reflects its commitment to the environment and sustainability.
Nippon Gases Germany, headquartered in Düsseldorf, has 16 locations throughout Germany. Its gases and related services are used in metalworking companies, wastewater treatment, the chemical industry, food production and as medical gases in hospitals.