Air Liquide has officially opened its air separation unit (ASU) on the BASF site in Schwarzheide, Germany. The ASU, which cost around €40m ($47m) to build, will produce oxygen, nitrogen, and CO2-free compressed air for the production of battery materials. The new plant will also produce liquid products for customers in the automotive, food, metal, and semiconductor industries. The ASU will strengthen the reliable supply of customers in Germany and Poland with industrial gases and reduce truck routes in the region. Air Liquide has been active at the Schwarzheide site since 1995.
Investment in Industrial Infrastructure
Air Liquide's air separation unit (ASU) on the BASF site in Schwarzheide, Germany, was officially opened today. Brandenburg's Minister of Economic Affairs Jörg Steinbach expressed his satisfaction: "Schwarzheide will be significantly strengthened as a location for battery production with the start-up of the air separation unit from Air Liquide. This will broaden the industrial base, especially for the successful E-mobility sector, but other industries that are important for the industrial location of Brandenburg will also benefit."
Air Liquide has invested around 40 million euros in the construction of the new plant, which was built in close proximity to the new BASF production facility for high-performance cathode materials.
Air Liquide has been active at the Schwarzheide site since 1995 and has operated a nitrogen production plant there since then. In a construction period of 24 months, a state-of-the-art air separation unit was erected on the 12,000-square-meter site in 320,000 working hours. This produces oxygen and nitrogen as well as CO2-free compressed air for BASF - these substances are required for the production of battery materials.
Molecules for the tasks of the future
The new ASU will also produce liquid products for other Air Liquide customers from the automotive, food, metal, and semiconductor industries.
This will also strengthen the reliable supply of customers in Germany and Poland with industrial gases. The optimization of truck routes in the region and a reduction in the number of kilometers traveled are also a plus for the environment.
Sebastian Jureczek, CEO of Air Liquide Deutschland GmbH, said at the opening ceremony today: "With our long-standing partner BASF, we are opening a new chapter in our cooperation. In addition, we can now supply our customers from the semiconductor industry and many other industries even closer to their homes. We see our investment in stormy times as a contribution to strengthening the economic power of the region. We appreciate the location qualities here in Schwarzheide very much and look forward to continued cooperation for the future."
Jürgen Fuchs, CEO of BASF Schwarzheide GmbH, commented: "BASF and Air Liquide have a long-standing, strong partnership, and I am very pleased that we are now deepening and continuing our successful cooperation in Schwarzheide. Reliable and good cooperation is a key to success, especially in economically difficult times. With the new air separation unit from Air Liquide, we can safely and efficiently supply the production of cathode material with technical gases that are now produced on site, and thus make an important contribution to securing the future of the site."
Jörg Steinbach, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Energy of the State of Brandenburg, said: “The expansion of Air Liquide's production at the Schwarzheide site increases the competitiveness of the industrial location of Lausitz. The air separation unit produces oxygen, nitrogen, and CO2-free compressed air - these are essential substances for the production of battery materials, for which demand is expected to rise sharply. Brandenburg is thus on course for the future - not least for the future of E-mobility. I welcome the sustainable production at the Schwarzheide site because renewable energies, energy efficiency, and battery recycling are innovatively integrated here.”
How air separation works
In the air separation unit, the surrounding air is sucked in, cleaned, compressed, and cooled. The heart of the unit is the so-called coldbox: at temperatures of -180 to -190 degrees, the air reaches a liquid state and can be more easily separated. Air Liquide operates a total of 22 air separation units at 15 locations in Germany alone.