Nippon Gases opens modern plant in Zörbig: future of CO2!

Nippon Gases opens modern plant in Zörbig: future of CO2!

In Zörbig, a town in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district, a new chapter in the production of carbon dioxide and dry ice is opening. The South German reports that Nippon Gases has opened a modern plant, realized with an investment of 30 million euros. To help the project get off the ground, the company received 3.7 million euros in support from the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The new plant will produce food-grade gaseous and liquefied carbon dioxide as well as dry ice. These products are essential for various industries, such as the food industry, the chemical industry and the metal processing industry. Nippon Gases is established with 16 locations in Germany and is part of the Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation from Japan, which looks back on over 100 years of company history and employs almost 20,000 people worldwide, including around 3,500 in Europe.

Cooperation with VERBIO

Nippon Gases is also going on the offensive when it comes to sustainability. A cooperation with the VERBIO United BioEnergie AG for the production of biogenic CO2 is in the starting blocks. As part of this strategic partnership, Nippon Gases is building a plant for the purification and liquefaction of CO2 from VERBIO's bioethanol production in Zörbig. Fortunately, another plant to process this CO2 into dry ice is being built in the immediate vicinity, which will give the region additional economic stimulus.

This collaboration brings with it a number of advantages: The central location in Germany reduces transport routes to customers and diversifies the CO2 supply base, which increases the availability of the products. In this way, road transport of liquid carbon dioxide can be reduced by up to 380,000 km annually, resulting in a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 330 tons per year. VERBIO also aims to be CO2 neutral by 2035.

Applications of carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide has a wide range of applications and is highly valued in the food and beverage industry. It is used not only in carbonated drinks, but also for cooling food during transportation, as well as for flash freezing and cold sterilization. As Atlas Copco explains, CO2 plays a crucial role in preventing bacterial and fungal growth and is even used to decaffeinate coffee.

But CO2 is not only in demand in the food industry. In the chemical industry it is used, among other things, for the production of methanol, urea and as a protective gas for welding. It is even used in healthcare, for example to stimulate breathing in patients.

The opening of the new plant in Zörbig and the cooperation with VERBIO show that Nippon Gases is not only investing in profitability, but also in sustainability. Given the importance of CO2 in modern industry, this project could represent an important step towards an environmentally conscious future.