Air Liquide and Dow have renewed their industrial gas supply agreement in Stade, Germany, with Air Liquide investing 40 million euros in modernizing its assets to improve operational efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. The modernization includes adding a new CO₂ recycling solution to existing production assets, leading to a 15% increase in energy efficiency and a reduction of 15,000 tonnes/year in emissions. This investment aligns with Air Liquide's goal of reducing carbon emissions by one-third by 2035. The agreement, which has been in place for over 20 years, reflects the companies' commitment to sustainable industrial practices and the transition to a greener economy.
Air Liquide and Dow renewed their industrial gas supply agreement in Stade, one of the largest chemical production sites in Lower Saxony, Germany. In this context, Air Liquide will supply industrial gases under a long-term agreement and invest close to 40 million euros in the modernisation of its assets, enabling operational efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions.
As part of the agreement, Air Liquide will modernize its existing production assets - two Air Separation Units (ASU) as well as one Partial Oxidation plant (POX)[1], to which it will add a new CO₂ recycling solution. This will enable a circular use of the CO₂ produced, leading to around 15% increase in energy efficiency and reducing the emissions by around 15,000 tonnes/year, which represents 80% of direct CO₂ emissions of the Air Liquide site. The modernization of these assets will be completed in 2024. Air Liquide has been supplying industrial gases to Dow in Stade, Germany, for more than 20 years.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer of the Europe Industries Hub, said:"In view of the climate imperative, the necessary industrial transformation will require not only ground-breaking greenfield projects but also step-by-step modifications and modernisation of existing plants. This is why, as part of our long term renewal of the supply agreement with Dow, we have decided to invest close to 40 millions euros to modernize our assets in Stade. The solution implemented will apply CO₂ recycling to an existing production facility, enabling us to improve energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions at the same time. This investment is in line with Air Liquide’s ADVANCE strategic plan, which includes the objective of reducing the Group’s carbon emissions by one-third by 2035."
[1] Partial oxidation (POX) is a mature process in which natural gas, for instance, is mixed with a limited amount of oxygen, creating syngas, as a feedstock for multiple applications.