Bayer MaterialScience honored for electricity-saving process

The government of Germany’s most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia recently recognized Bayer MaterialScience chlorine manufacturing process that saves significant amounts of electricity as a flagship project for climate protection. Environment Minister Johannes Remmel presented the award in Cologne at the annual convention of the KlimaExpo.NRW, an initiative of the state government.

 

The new oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) Technology won second place in the "Conserving Ressources" category. With the project Bayer MaterialScience is showing how the energy-intensive chemical industry can make a contribution to climate protection and at the same time strengthen its competitiveness, stated Remmel in the presence of around 350 guests. The annual convention was officially opened by North Rhine-Westphalian State Premier Hannelore Kraft.  

 

 

The oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) technology developed jointly by Bayer MaterialScience and Thyssen Krupp reduces the amount of electricity needed for the very energy-intensive production of the important basic chemical chlorine by up to 30%. If, for example, all chlorine producers in Germany were to adopt this technology, which has now reached market maturity, the country's overall electricity consumption could be reduced by around one percent, which is about as much energy as is needed in one year by a large city like Cologne. 

 

The technology can play a key role in Germany’s energy transition, which focuses in particular on improving energy efficiency, explained Dr. Klaus Schaefer, head of Production and Technology at Bayer MaterialScience.