2024 SS awards environm 1&2

The EIGA Environmental Award recognises best environmental practice and is also designed to encourage EIGA member companies to look to promote best practice, learn and adopt new ideas that benefit their business, the environment and the communities they work in.

We have two Awards this year  :-)

1. A new generation ASU plant design by Air Liquide
2. Iberia reforestation by Nippon Gases)

1° New generation ASU plant design (Air Liquide)

Air Liquide has recently started the world’s first large-scale Air Separation Unit (ASU) for oxygen production, incorporating an energy storage system that enhances the integration of renewable energy into the electricity grid through its grid-stabilizing capabilities. This highly efficient plant, located in the Port of Moerdijk, The Netherlands, consumes approximately 10% less electricity and has a production capacity of 2,200 tons of oxygen per day. This project exemplifies Air Liquide’s strategy to expand in key industrial regions and its ability to design and implement innovative solutions that support the energy transition in alignment with its Climate Objectives.
The new ASU features the proprietary Alive™ system, an innovation that allows for more flexible operations, meeting customer needs while supporting the transition to renewable energy. This system can store up to 40 MWh of energy, equivalent to the daily consumption of 4,000 households, thus providing flexibility in energy intake from the grid. It maintains constant production for customers whilst accommodating the intermittency of renewable energy, thereby promoting the growth of wind and solar power on the electricity grid. This helps grid operators in balancing the power grid, thus facilitating the expansion of renewable energy sources.
The plant optimizes renewable energy use by employing cryogenic liquid air to store and release energy to the distillation section. LOX and LIN storages are also part of the optimization to properly balance both mass and heat balance. An advanced process control aims at gathering power market data, customer demands to set the ASU power consumption.

 

2° Iberia reforestation (Nippon Gases)

At Nippon Gases, we believe that protecting our planet is a shared responsibility. Our reforestation initiative reflects our commitment to safety, sustainability, and environmental responsibility.
With guidance from experts, we enhanced local biodiversity and offset CO2 emissions through reforestation projects in Spain and Portugal. Our employees’ dedication has been crucial in making a positive impact.
In November 2021, we established the first Nippon Gases forest in Madrid, planting over 750 native trees. This initiative was in an effort to combat 125 tonnes of CO2 emissions and provided additional benefits such as restoring abandoned land, increasing regional biodiversity, supporting local wildlife, and preventing soil erosion. The trees are now thriving in their second year of growth thanks to ongoing maintenance by our employees.
In January 2023, over 65 employees and their families from Porto and Lisbon helped create the second Nippon Gases forest, planting around 1000 native tree species. This project reforested land previously destroyed by fire, enhanced local biodiversity and offset 166 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Our reforestation projects are part of our Sustainability Plan, aligned with the European Green Deal, and our parent company Nippon Sanso Holding Corporation’s mid-term plan. Governance and monitoring are overseen by the Sustainability Committee, and the projects support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 8 and 13.
Nippon Gases is committed to a sustainable future, recognising our industry’s crucial role in achieving a carbon neutral world. Empowered by our people, we are enabling the future, together.