Air Liquide invests to increase efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions

Air Liquide and Dow have renewed their industrial gas supply agreement in Stade - one of the largest chemical production sites in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Air Liquide will supply industrial gases under a long-term agreement and invest close to €40 million in the modernisation of its assets, enabling operational efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.
Air Liquide will modernise its existing production assets – two air separation units (ASU), as well as one partial oxidation plant (POX), 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 tpy, which represents 80% of direct CO2 emissions of the Air Liquide site.
The modernisation of these assets will be completed this year. 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 CEO 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 million to modernise 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.”