Fresh impulses for wind energy

• Investment in innovation: Covestro researches material solutions for sustainable energy generation at its new wind technology center
• Optimization and new development of PUR resins in cooperation with customers
• Simulation of manufacturing processes for optimal results

On the road to alternative energy generation: Covestro is developing innovative PUR resins for use in wind turbine rotor blades at its new Wind Technology Center. A win-win-win situation for Covestro, customers and the environment.

“The development of these resins is very important to us. After all, it contributes to the expansion of alternative energies and strengthens our strategic orientation to sustainably reduce the CO2 footprint and take even more steps towards climate neutrality,” explains Klaus Franken, Head of Application Development Wind and Pultrusion at Covestro. “To be competitive, the wind industry faces the constant challenge of reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity. We can help here by enabling our customers to produce rotor blades faster and thus more cost-effectively. At the same time, higher energy yield through optimized blade properties and longer service life also play a role.”

Close cooperation with customers
One goal of the Wind Technology Center is to develop robust materials that combine the properties important for rotor blades, such as strength, stiffness and temperature resistance. Existing products are continuously optimized and completely new formulations are developed and tested. Another goal: application technology development in close cooperation with customers. Klaus Franken explains: “Here we can simulate our customers’ manufacturing processes and show how our PUR resins help them to realize both their rotor blade designs and the manufacturing process in the best possible way.”

Covestro attaches great importance to optimally tailoring its products to the needs of its customers. That is why a number of cooperative ventures with European and Asian wind turbine manufacturers are already in place. The focus here is on constructing and testing prototypes.

The high-tech center is located in Leverkusen and was completed and put into operation at the beginning of this year. It comprises two interconnected units: a laboratory area for chemical development and an Upscaling Plant. The latter is home to processing technology and application development.

Development and application go hand in hand
The center offers clear advantages: “Chemical development and application technology can work hand in hand here. On top of that, the physical proximity makes it easier to exchange information directly and quickly. We use identical resources and the same infrastructure and quickly obtain a comprehensive depiction of the process. This helps us to pursue our goals in a results-oriented manner and without losing knowledge, and enables us to offer new, innovative solutions to our customers,” explains Technical Center Manager Frank Grimberg. “Process and plant safety, explosion protection, machine safety and, of course, occupational safety are always in the spotlight here,” explains Tobias Wollersheim, who as Project Management was responsible for planning and implementing the investment.

Another positive aspect: with the innovative technology center, Covestro is increasing its attractiveness as an employer. Indeed, wind technology offers a wide range of new, interesting fields of work that arouse curiosity and offer diversity. Covestro has taken on a newly qualified chemical technician from its own training program to operate the machines. He is being intensively trained in the processes and machine technology.

This much is clear: Things are moving in the area of wind energy.

Covestro extends contract with CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann ahead of schedule until 2028

Dr. Markus Steilemann will remain Chief Executive Officer of Covestro for a further five years. The Supervisory Board has extended his contract, which runs until May 2023, until May 31, 2028. Steilemann has been a member of the Covestro Board of Management since September 2015 and its Chief Executive Officer since June 2018.

“Markus Steilemann has provided Covestro with outstanding leadership as Chief Executive Officer during his tenure to date, setting important strategic direction and driving the Group’s sustainable growth. We look forward to continuing our successful cooperation,” said Dr. Richard Pott, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Covestro AG. “By extending his mandate ahead of schedule, we are emphasizing our confidence in Mr. Steilemann to successfully continue the transformation Covestro has begun to become fully circular.”

Following his contract extension, Dr. Markus Steilemann responds: “I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for the trust it has placed in me. We have restructured Covestro and, together with my colleagues, I look forward to leading the company to a successful and sustainable future.”

In his role as Chief Executive Officer, Steilemann is responsible for the central functions of the company: Strategy, Sustainability & Public Affairs, Group Innovation, Corporate Audit, Human Resources and Communications.

Other members of Covestro’s Board of Management are Sucheta Govil as Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Klaus Schäfer as Chief Technology Officer and Dr. Thomas Toepfer as Chief Financial Officer.

K 2022 Benefits From New Hepa Filters In The Exhibition Halls

Messe Düsseldorf ensures highest air quality

Messe Düsseldorf is coming up with a new technical highlight: HEPA filters. These high-efficiency particulate air filters introduce clinically clean air into the halls while at the same time reducing heating and cooling energy consumption. By the end of June 2022, the complete Düsseldorf Exhibition and Congress Centre will be equipped with HEPA filters.

It is the most effective air cleaning technology currently available: HEPA filters remove 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and other particulates from the air and release the cleaned air into the room again. These high-efficiency filters make for highest air quality in ORs, at Intensive Care Units and now also at Messe Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf Congress. Halls 1, 9 to 17 as well as Congress Center Düsseldorf CCD have already been refitted. 80% of the EUR 1.4 million invested were paid by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of a funding programme.

Infection risk reduced to a minimum

Stressing the advantages for the re-start, Wolfram N. Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, says: “Our new HEPA filters help to ensure that we can offer all guests the greatest possible protection during our trade fairs. In combination with our high-performance ventilation system, our voluntary hygiene measures, our spacious premises and halls, we reduce the infection risk to a minimum. After two pandemic years and a period of intense digital communication participants can feel safe when networking, initiating business deals and experiencing innovations in person again.”

Contribution to sustainability

HEPA filters complement and relieve the already powerful ventilation systems at Messe Düsseldorf. The fully automatic system with 60,000 measuring points safeguards optimal air quality and supplies the halls with ten million cubic metres of fresh outside air via ten kilometres of ventilation pipes every hour. Bernhard J. Stempfle, Managing Director Finance and Infrastructure, emphasises the efficiency: “HEPA filters reduce the heating and cooling energy consumption of our ventilation systems and enable their energetically sensible operation. When outside temperatures are low we can mix the outside air supplied with warm hall air, thereby reducing the heating requirements and still achieve clinically clean incoming air. This means that the HEPA filters also make an important contribution to sustainable trade fairs.”

Additional infection protection is not only provided by the HEPA filters and ventilation systems but also by Messe Düsseldorf’s voluntary hygiene measures. The trade fair company continues recommending attendees to wear medical face masks and keep a 1.5 m distance from other persons on the fairgrounds. Furthermore, Messe Düsseldorf makes sanitizing dispensers available and has frequently used contact surfaces cleaned several times daily. Distance markings in waiting areas help to prevent crowds from forming in front of information counters and ticket offices. Doors, unless they are fire doors, are left open so that they can be passed through contactless. Transparent droplet guards at service and information counters will also remain in place.

BOREALIS BORNEWABLES™, NOW USED IN HIGHLY SENSITIVE FROZEN FOOD PACKAGING MARKET

• Value chain partnership with PACCOR and Froneri enables first polypropylene ice cream brand packaging manufactured with certified renewable feedstock
• Innovative monomaterial packaging is 100% recyclable
• Partnership is embodiment of the Borealis EverMinds™ spirit of taking action to accelerate the move towards plastics circularity

Borealis, a global leader in advanced and sustainable chemicals & materials solutions, has announced that it has joined forces with ice cream company Froneri (Finland) and packaging specialist PACCOR (Germany) to support the transformation of the popular ice cream brand Aino to a sustainable offering. As a result of this partnership, the new Aino packaging tubs and lids are moulded in Bornewables™ polypropylene (PP) from Borealis, with renewable feedstock certified by mass balance accounting under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) scheme.

The collaboration between Borealis, Froneri and PACCOR is a key example of implementing innovative responsible packaging applications to accelerate the transition of the plastics industry towards a more sustainable and circular economy. It also connects with Borealis’ Consumer Products vision of ‘Making everyday life easier’, and aligns with the company’s EverMinds™ activities and initiatives for industrial partnership with committed players across the entire value chain.

Paving the road towards carbon neutrality
“Implemented within just 12 months from concept to market, the new Aino ice cream packaging is an excellent example for what can be achieved by collaboration to transform the plastics industry on its road to carbon neutrality,” says Peter Voortmans, Global Commercial Director Consumer Products at Borealis. “We are very proud about our contribution to the success of this joint project, which has once again confirmed the perfect fit of our Bornewables polymers in high-quality and high-performance packaging solutions.”

The feedstock for the Bornewables PP from Borealis is derived from second-generation bio-mass, waste and residue streams that are not competing with the human food chain. The renewable content is accredited by mass balance according to ISCC PLUS, which facilitates its traceability from the material production through to the final application.

In addition, brand owners can document the certified renewable content with a representative label or moulded-in information on the packaging, thus helping consumers make a more responsible choice in their purchase. Froneri has been the first ice cream company to receive the respectable ISCC PLUS certification in this highly sensitive packaging market segment and is planning to extend the use of the Bornewables polymers to further brands across Europe.

Inspired by Finnish nature
Aino ice cream has always been associated with the quality, reliability and environmental sensitivity of products made in Finland, where living in harmony with nature is firmly rooted in people’s DNA. The synergy of these values has been a strong inspiration driving the renewable based packaging.

“Sustainability is very important to us, with the core of it embedded in our local factory and production,” adds Charlotta Lindberg, Senior Brand Manager at Froneri. “At our ice cream factory in Turenki, we make continuous improvements and take practical actions both small and big to become more sustainable, for example by switching to renewable energy such as wind-based electricity, biogas and carbon-neutral heating. Furthermore, wherever possible, our packaging is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and the cocoa used in our products is Rainforest Alliance certified. To mention a few things we are doing around sustainability.”

Fully functional monomaterial
The new Aino ice cream packaging tubs and lids are injection moulded from Bornewables PP by PACCOR in an integrated process with in-mould labelling decoration, which also makes this innovative monomaterial packaging 100% recyclable. Moreover, the renewable material is used as a highly efficient drop-in solution without any further modifications required to the partners’ manufacturing and packaging lines. At the same time, it helps them reduce their carbon footprint.

“By using renewable raw material, we have been able to substantially reduce our CO₂ emissions without changing the manufacturing process, which is a significant accomplishment and another important step being taken to reduce oil dependence within our group,” explains Andrzej Olszewski, Plant Manager at PACCOR Bydgoszcz. “In addition, compliance with the ISCC PLUS standard ensures complete transparency in production, maintaining high quality standards for our ice cream packaging products.”

For end users, the Bornewables material meets all functional requirements to enable durable and protective food-contact packaging fit for freezing, while addressing increased consumer demands to minimise the climate impact and fossil depletion potential of packaging products.

K 2022 will take place from 19 to 26 October 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
We invite you to “Innovate Collaborate Accelerate” together with us by visiting Borealis and Borouge in Hall 6 at Stand A43, where the new ice cream packaging solutions will be on display.

Solvay Launches New Biosurfactants for Carbon-Neutral and Circular Beauty Care Products

Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 are 100% biobased and biodegradable surfactants manufactured through a cost-efficient fermentation process, targeting a broad range of applications in hair and skin care.

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Brussels, June 14, 2022 – Solvay, a leading supplier of cosmetic ingredients, has introduced Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 – two new high-performance biosurfactants that enable the development of sustainable beauty care products. Based on rapeseed oil and sugar with low environmental and carbon footprint, these glycolipid biosurfactants are suitable for a broad range of applications in beauty care such as shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, face washes and creams.

The new Mirasoft® range aligns with Solvay’s most recent growth platform on “Renewable materials and biotechnology”, which aims to meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions by increasing the share of renewable carbon in Solvay’s product offering and developing new business opportunities enabled by biotechnology and product end-of-life management.

“This product launch underlines both our commitment to surfactants technology and our long-term vision for the future,” commented Jean-Guy Le Helloco, global vice president, home and personal care at Solvay. “We focus on future technology shifts to enable our customers to reach their sustainability goals.”

Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 are designed to provide the same performance as synthetic ingredients without harmful environmental effects. Readily biodegradable and 100% biobased, they follow green chemistry processes and fully reflect Solvay’s commitment to sustainability and the creation of a circular, regenerative economy.

“With the potential of a net neutral carbon footprint in the near future, biosurfactants represent a step-change technology in the eco-design of next-generation beauty care products. The eco-profile of Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 is truly a breakthrough compared to conventional, fossil fuel-based surfactants”, said Galder Cristobal, research & innovation director, Home & Personal Care at Solvay.

In line with Solvay One Planet roadmap, designed to preserve resources and contribute to safer, cleaner and more sustainable products, Solvay’s Beauty for the Planet initiative aims to accelerate the transformation of sustainable beauty ideas into concrete actions, provide beauty for consumers and maintain beauty for the planet.

OCSiAl expands its graphene nanotube production capacities to Europe

• OCSiAl is launching a graphene nanotube synthesis facility near Belgrade, Serbia, in the first half of 2023.
• The synthesis facility to become the core of the graphene nanotube industrial hub and will be accompanied by production lines of nanotube concentrates for various polymers and nanotube dispersions to boost energy density of electric vehicle batteries.  
• The new hub will further strengthen OCSiAl’s supply chain resilience and enhance the company’s leading position in the global graphene nanotube market.

The graphene nanotube synthesis facility in Serbia will leverage OCSiAl’s unique production technology. The company’s technology is protected by more than 80 patents and patent applications, and trade secrets. The facility is planned to have a 40 MT/y capacity and will be launched in the first half of 2023. The new synthesis plant will contribute to lowering supply chain costs, and will make it possible to deliver European-produced nanotubes and nanotube industrial solutions to customers in Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The nanotube synthesis facility will be accompanied by the production lines of more than 40 nanotube-based concentrates and dispersions designed to simplify industrial handling of nanotubes and will be launched in sequence in 2022-2023. Nanotube-based solutions grant a unique combination of previously unachievable properties to most types of elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, and lithium-ion batteries, that have gained rapid adoption in aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, packaging and consumer goods. Electric vehicle batteries drive nanotube technology development, as graphene nanotubes ultimately enable automotive industry transformation from internal combustion engines to batteries, by facilitating faster charge, longer range and lower cost of electric cars.

To meet the world’s constantly growing demand for graphene nanotubes, the Serbian facility will soon be complemented by a larger nanotube manufacturing facility in Differdange, Luxembourg, in 2025. New capacities and a diversified supply chain will cement OCSiAl’s leading global position as the supplier of 97% of all graphene nanotubes available in the market.