The modernisation programme has greatly improved the site’s sustainability. It consumes 80% less energy than TDI production using conventional processes, with a 22kT/year reduction in CO2. The new 20m-high reactor, weighing more than 150 tons, uses the energy generated during the exothermic phosgene generation reaction to produce steam. Further installations include more than 3.5km of new pipelines and about 14km of cables.
“With the successful modernisation, we can now offer our customers TDI with an even better carbon footprint,” said Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Covestro’s head of sales for performance materials in the EMEA and LATAM regions. “This supports our customers in achieving their own sustainability goals and strengthens our position as a reliable partner for climate-neutral and circular solutions.”
The company received financial support from Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for the modernisation via its federal funding programme for energy and resource efficiency.
Covestro has also announced a new ambitious energy efficiency target for its global production. It is targeting a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions from energy use per ton of product from 2020 levels by 2030. This will contribute to its plan to achieve climate-neutral production by 2035.
“Climate-neutral production can only be achieved if we significantly reduce our energy requirements for the manufacture of our products,” said Thorsten Dreier, Covestro’s chief technology officer. “This is because there is currently not enough renewable energy available at affordable prices to even begin to cover demand. In addition, as a supplier of standard products, we must always keep our manufacturing costs as low as possible in order to be competitive in the global market.”
