The FINANCIAL — A new technology from Bayer and ThyssenKrupp that is now being launched commercially worldwide enables the production of chlorine with significantly less electricity, according to Bayer AG.
The process reduces the very large amount of energy required to obtain the important chemical by as much as 30 percent compared with conventional processes. Its widespread use would enable economically significant savings of energy.
The new oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) technology is used for the electrolysis of table salt, by which means 95 percent of all chlorine is produced. The element is a central basic material in the chemical industry and is required for some two-thirds of all products, including plastics, medicines and crop protection agents.
“The new process can make a significant contribution to energy efficiency and thus to the sustainable transformation of energy systems,” says Dr. Tony Van Osselaer, member of the Board of Management of Bayer MaterialScience. In Germany alone, 100-percent deployment of the technology would save one percent of the total electricity demand. “This corresponds to the energy consumption of a major city such as Cologne,” Van Osselaer added. There is also a positive effect on the climate, as carbon dioxide emissions as the result of power generation would also be reduced by one-third.
“The new process can offer significant ecological and economic advantages,” says Alfred Hoffmann, member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Uhde. “However, conditions at the production sites also play a role,” he added.
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