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2021
www.chemietechnik.de
CHEMPHARM INNOVATIONS 2021
CHEMICALS AND PHARMA
Industry
on the Move
4 CHEMIE TECHNIK · 06_AGE 2021
ENGINEERING
SUMMIT 2021
23.-24.06.2020 in Wiesbaden
Prospects and Challenges of Plant Construction
December 1 and 2, 2021
/
With German
aneous
English simult
translation!
More Details: COMPETENCE MATTERS.
www.engineering-summit.de Large Industrial Plant
Manufacturer’s Group
Challenges and Chances in a Changing World
Growing volatility and global competition in plant engineering still presents major challenges for
European suppliers. At the 8th Engineering Summit, which will be held on December 1 and 2, 2021,
executives will discuss key strategic competition factors and the need for change in project
business. With around 300 participants Engineering Summit is the most important congress in
our industry. Experts from medium-size and large industrial plant manufacturing companies
as well as plant operators and suppliers exchange views in intense discussions and high-profile
presentations.
Become part of the network!
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EDITORIAL
Industry on the Move
There has rarely been so much change. Whether cli- this way, for example, was it possible to develop and
mate neutrality, circular economy or hydrogen-based provide safe vaccines to combat the novel Corona virus
chemistry, whether digitalisation, fast-track projects, or within such a short time.
new high speed vaccine productions: the chemical-phar- In this issue of “Chempharm Innovations”, a special edi-
maceutical industry in Europe is facing profound up- tion of CHEMIE TECHNIK and Pharma+Food, we
heavals. The drivers are the megatrends of the 21st cen- highlight these trends and explore how the industry is
tury: the recent decisions of the European Commission tackling the pressing challenges. After a look at the de-
to tighten climate targets, for example, underline the ef- velopment of the industry in Europe, we address essen-
forts of chemical companies to significantly reduce their tial trends in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and – according to the
plans of some industry giants – to operate in a cli- In the second part of this issue, equipment suppliers
mate-neutral way by 2050. present current solutions and their service portfolios.
Because innovation - we are convinced – is created today
The producers of plastics are also facing a paradigm primarily at interfaces: Whether between process engi-
shift, driven by the increasing declinine in social accept- neering disciplines or between users and suppliers. We
ance of a business model based on the hitherto hardly wish you a profitable read!
sustainable, massive production of polymers, which are
disposed of on a large scale in an unregulated manner in
the environment and in the world‘s oceans. Without ef-
forts directed towards sustainability and a circular econ-
omy, this business model seems to have no future.
In the pharmaceutical industry, on the other hand, the
Corona pandemic at least has shown where the real chal-
lenges and potentials lie: Among other things, in new
forms of cooperation along the value chain and in new What do you think?
processes for the approval of new preparations. Only in armin.scheuermann@chemietechnik.de
110 10
105 5
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Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov
2018 2019 2020
Produktionsindex (Jahr 2015 = 100), links
Produktionsänderung im Vergleich zum Vorjahr in %, rechts
The chemical and pharmaceutical industry Our recent analysis shows the significance We describe the long and complicated path
in Europe is setting out to leave the Corona of the hydrogen economy for the chemical in the production of vaccines starting on
crisis behind. Page 6 industry. Page 8 Page 18
ChemPharm Innovations 3
CONTENT
Corona has Torn a Deep Hole
Development of chemical production in the EU27
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85 -15
Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov
2018 2019 2020
Produktionsindex (Jahr 2015 = 100), links
Produktionsänderung im Vergleich zum Vorjahr in %, rechts
Out of the Crisis Digital Lecture Programme Achema Pulse
Every year, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) publishes the data Dechema had postponed Achema to 2022. And the pre-
collected on the current situation and future of the industry. The figures for the sent year will see the launch of a supplementary digital
special year 2020 were awaited even more eagerly than usual. Page 6 lecture programme known as Achema Pulse. Page 18
Editorial3 Event
Something Delayed Is not Something Lost –
Digital Lecture Programme Achema Pulse 18
Chemicals
Out of the Crisis – Infographic on the Latest Cefic
Figures6
Utopia or Game Changer? – Reality Check for
Pharma
an Economy Based on Green Hydrogen 8 Hotspots
Long Road to the Shot 20
Green Light for Green Hydrogen – Conversion of
Green Electricity into Chemical Energy 11 Biontech-Pfizer:
From Reactor to Vaccination Centre 22
Hotspots
Top 10: Largest Projects for Green Hydrogen 12
Bridge to a Green Future – Sustainability
and Climate Protection in Plant Engineering 14
Utopia or Game Changer? Bridge to a Green Future
At present, hardly a day goes by without a new record-breaking announcement Large-scale plant construction provides solutions for
from the field of hydrogen use. But what is really behind the hype? We attemp- those branches of industry that cause the most CO2
ted to get to the bottom of the question. Page 8 emissions. But where are the obstacles? Page 14
4 ChemPharm Innovations
Imprint
www.chemietechnik.de
Special issue ePaper CHEMPHARM INNOVATIONS
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Long Road to the Shot E-Mail: armin.scheuermann@huethig.de
Dipl.-Biochem. Ansgar Kretschmer (ak), Phone: Direct line –400
In addition to the vaccine developers, who are in the public eye, E-Mail: ansgar.kretschmer@huethig.de
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2021
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CHEMPHARM INNOVATIONS 2021
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CHEMICALS AND PHARMA
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ChemPharm Innovations 5
Chemicals
Infographic on the Latest Cefic Figures
Out of the Crisis
Every year, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) publishes the data collected on the current si-
tuation and future of the industry. The figures for the special year 2020 were awaited even more eagerly
than usual. The result: the Corona pandemic dealt a heavy blow to European chemistry, especially in the
summer. Since then, however, the industry has recovered and can already hope for growth again this year
- but the uncertainties caused by the pandemic remain and the pressure specifically from China continu-
es to grow.
Corona has Torn a Deep Hole
Development of chemical production in the EU27
110 10
110 10
105 5
105 5
100 0
100 0
95 -5
95 -5
90 -10
90 -10
85 -15
85 Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov Jan March May July Sep Nov
-15
Jan März Mai Juli Sep Nov Jan März Mai Juli Sep Nov Jan März Mai Juli Sep Nov
2018
2018 2019
2019 2020
2020
Produktionsindex (Jahr 2015 = 100), links
Produktionsindex
Production (Jahr
index (year
Produktionsänderung 2015 = 100),zum
im2015=100),
Vergleich linksVorjahr in %, rechts
left
Produktionsänderung
Change im Vergleich
in production compared withzum Vorjahryear
previous in %,inrechts
%, right
Graphics: schab – stock.adobe.com / CHEMIE TECHNIK, Data: Cefic
The Corona crisis has clearly left its mark on the Euro-
pean chemical industry: While production had already
declined for almost the entire year 2019, the decline even
reached double-digit values in the early Corona crisis
months of April and May 2020. In autumn, however,
chemical production in Europe picked up again signifi-
cantly and partially compensated for losses.
6 ChemPharm Innovations
Chemicals
Signals Set to Green Again
Forecast production growth
Graphic: CHEMIE TECHNIK; Data: Cefic
Overall, Cefic expects chemical production in the EU to
decline by just under 2 % in 2020 compared to 2019. +3 %
However, the signs are now pointing to growth again: +2 %
For the current year, the association expects a “catch-up
effect” and a significant increase of 3 %. The outlook is
somewhat weaker for 2022, when experts expect pro- - 1.9 % 2021 2022
duction to grow by only 2 %.
2020
Agriculture
Strongly Dependent on Industrial Cycle and forestry
Customer sectors of the chemical industry (2017) 8.0 %
Wholesale
and retail trade
However, Cefic’s fortunetellers point out that the long- 4.0 %
Health
Graphic: CHEMIE TECHNIK; Data: Cefic
Other
term outlook in particular is very uncertain in view of and social Research
the Corona pandemic. The chemical industry supplies 44 % affairs and development
virtually all sectors of the economy: chemicals are esti- 16.8 % 3.2 %
mated to be in about 95 % of all manufactured goods. Mining
This means that chemical production is also highly de- 3.3 %
Services
pendent on the development of other sectors - especially
9.2 %
industry. More than half of the chemicals produced in
the EU find their customers there.
Rubber and plastics 15.5 % Electronics and optics 2.4 %
Construction 5.1 % Metal processing 2.4 %
Paper and printed matter 4.3 % Electrical machinery 2.2 %
Petroleum products and fuels 3.6 % Non-metallic products 2.0 %
Textiles, leather and footwear 3.5 % Machinery and equipment 1.8 %
Food, beverages and tobacco 3.3 % Recycling and other manufacturing 1.7 %
Vehicles 3.0 % Other 2.2 %
Metal production 2.6 %
2019 2030 A Smaller Piece of a Growing Cake
Regional shares of global chemicals sales
1.0 %
2.7 % Regardless of the development of individual target sec-
3.6 %
3.2 % 1.1 % 3.7 % tors, Cefic sees the European industry on a growth path.
4.6 %
4.6 % 10.5 % However, this is mainly due to a dynamically developing
global market, which is expected to grow by almost two
thirds by 2030. Although the turnover of the chemical
14.8 %
€3.7 40.6 % €6.2 48.6 % industry in the EU would then be higher in absolute
Trillion 14.2 %
Trillion terms than at present, its share of the global market is
Graphic: CHEMIE TECHNIK; Data: Cefic
expected to shrink: from just under 15 % to only about
15.5 % one tenth. Other established chemical locations such as
the USA or Japan would also lose ground – much to the
15.6 % delight of the Chinese chemical industry, which would
15.8 % then account for almost half of global sales in 2030.
China Rest of Europe
Rest of Asia Japan
North America Latin America
EU Other
ChemPharm Innovations 7
Chemicals
Source: Mediaparts – stock.adobe.com
Reality Check for an Economy Based on Green Hydrogen
Utopia or Game Changer?
At present, hardly a day goes by without a new record-breaking announcement from
the field of hydrogen use. But what is really behind the hype? We attempted to get to
the bottom of the question.
T
he use of green hydrogen in industry and trans- drogen strategy, according to which the smallest chemi-
portation has been discussed for a long time. cal element plays a central role in the attempt to establish
Author
There have also been many pilot projects. But a climate-neutral economy in Europe by 2050.
recently we have been inundated with news of new hy-
drogen projects. Hardly a week goes by without a new Climate Targets as a Driving Force
record for an even larger hydrogen electrolysis plant. The starting point for European projections and plans is
The situation has all the signs of a media hype. But not the EU’s goal of achieving the 2 °C target defined in the
Armin Scheuermann, only that: something has changed – and as is so often the Paris Climate Agreement by the end of the century. And
is Editor-in-Chief of case in the energy sector, it has to do with politics. In because this cannot be achieved with classic technolo-
CHEMIE TECHNIK July 2020, the European Union made public its new hy- gies at the required emission levels, there is no way
8 ChemPharm Innovations
Chemicals
In the project Reallabor Westküste 100, a consortium of companies funded by the Ministry of Economics is investigating sector coupling from
wind to hydrogen to aviation fuel. Source: Westküste 100
around hydrogen. Whether green hydrogen, or a combi- 200 H2 Projects Announced Worldwide
nation of H2 from green electricity and the classic steam In this context, the current 50 or so global projects for
reforming of natural gas with subsequent storage of the the production of green hydrogen and another 150 pro-
resulting CO2 (CCS), both technologies are necessary to jects for the production of H2 on the basis of fossil raw
achieve the ambitious climate targets. For the first time, materials still look relatively modest: If all of them were
however, the EU has specified concrete expansion tar- realised, a total of 300 billion US dollars would have to
gets for green hydrogen: in the first phase, electrolysis be invested by 2030 – according to a recent study by
capacities amounting to 6 GW are to be installed in Eu- McKinsey on behalf of the Hydrogen Council, an associ-
rope between 2020 and 2025. The goal: to produce 1 ation of around 100 companies in the chemical and en-
million tonnes of green hydrogen per year in the future. ergy industries. However, only a quarter of the projects
In the second phase (2025 to 2030), the capacity is to have so far been concretely planned or implemented
grow to a total of 40 GW and up to ten million tonnes. beyond the mere announcement.
After 2030, according to the EU Commission’s goal, hy- Because business enterprises are hardly willing to
drogen is to be used on a large scale in areas that have so make significant investments out of altruistic motives,
far eluded decarbonisation efforts – including truck and the future development of the hydrogen economy de-
air transport. pends to a large extent on the development of the costs
The dimension of these efforts is made clear by a look for renewably generated electricity, the expenses for
at the necessary investments: Hydrogen Europe, for ex- electrolysis and the transport of hydrogen. The McK-
ample, estimates that investments of €430 billion will be insey study of January 2021 provides interesting de-
needed to achieve these goals. Stakeholders expect the tails on this: Based on the ambitious development of
first draft laws to implement the European hydrogen the hydrogen economy assumed by the Hydrogen
strategy as early as 2021. Council, global electrolysis capacity is expected to in-
But it is not only Europe that sees hydrogen as a key crease to 90 GW by 2030. Economies of scale could
to a climate-neutral economy: demand is also growing in drive down the cost of green electricity, electrolysis,
South Korea and Japan. According to the estimates of and transport, so that green hydrogen would cost only
market research companies, the two countries together 1.4 to 2.3 USD/kg by 2030. Currently, green hydrogen
could need 27 million tonnes of hydrogen annually by in Western Europe is priced at 6 to 7 USD/kg, which is
2050. A total of 75 nations, currently representing half of three times more expensive than conventional grey
the global economic output, have set themselves the goal hydrogen. Based on the optimistic projections of the
of becoming climate-neutral in the coming decades. 30 current study, green hydrogen could reach the price
of them have already published their own hydrogen level of grey hydrogen between 2028 and 2034, de-
strategies. pending on the region.
ChemPharm Innovations 9
Chemicals
North Sea wind
farms generate
2030
power 100% green
power
The electrolyser produces Hamburg
hydrogen from 100% Eemshaven
renewable power Delfzijl
100% green
hydrogen Hydrogen stored in
underground caverns
Amsterdam Industry uses green
hydrogen as a resource
and for process heating
Rotterdam Reuse of gas pipelines for
transporting hydrogen elimi-
nates the need for additional
Antwerp power grid upgrades
Limburg Ruhr area
1 000 000 tonnes of green
hydrogen prevents 8 to 10
megatons of CO2 emmisions
per year
Left: Scaling up of
electrolysis capaci-
ties is one of the
challenges for the The investment costs for electrolysis plants are as- brings together 17 companies, has examined the im-
ambitious hydrogen sumed to drop from 480–620 USD/kW to 230–380 USD/ pact of the European initiative and comes to the con-
targets kW between 2025 and 2030. Another interesting aspect is clusion that there are enormous opportunities for Eu-
Source: Thyssenkrupp the high energy transport capacity of hydrogen pipelines ropean industry, plant engineering, and, above all,
compared to power lines and the significantly lower line chemistry in the consistent pursuit of the hydrogen
Right: The North H2 losses as well as their flexibility: the pipeline capacity can strategy.
project is currently be adjusted to the demand via the pressure. The Hydrogen One of the things that puts Europe in pole position
one of the most am- Council estimates that the cost of transporting energy by when it comes to hydrogen is the existing gas grid, which
bitious hydrogen
pipeline is one eighth of the cost of transmitting the same already distributes more than 40% of heating gas to Eu-
projects in the
world.
amount of energy via power lines. For example, existing ropean households and transports 15% of the natural gas
Source: Equinor natural gas pipelines in the well-developed European fired in power plants. For the transport industry, hydro-
pipeline network could be used to transport hydrogen: gen is currently the most interesting option for decar-
Hydrogen Europe estimates that converting 50,000 km of bonising trucks, buses, ships, large cars and trains. This
pipelines would cost around €25 billion. Pipeline trans- is because the small molecule is characterised by an en-
port from North Africa to Germany could be done for 0.5 ergy density that is almost three times higher than that
USD/kg, according to estimates. of heating oil or natural gas. The transport sector is also
Transport by ship, on the other hand, is much more in the spotlight because it is responsible for about one
expensive: liquefaction, storage at extremely low temper- third of all carbon dioxide emissions in Europe. In avia-
atures and regasification are the main cost drivers – esti- tion, synthetic fuels made from hydrogen are currently
mates for 2030 assume 2 to 3 USD/kg. These projections the only decarbonisation option.
are likely to underlie the current announcements for H2 Other potential customers are industries that have so
projects in Australia. The green hydrogen produced far produced large amounts of carbon dioxide. These
there is intended for export to Asia. Alternatives are the include the cement industry, but also the steel industry.
synthesis of organic molecules (liquid organic hydrogen In the latter, hydrogen can replace not only heating gas
carriers, LOHC) or liquid ammonia. The latter could but also coke as a reducing agent. Relevant for the chem-
replace heavy oil as a marine fuel in the future. But while ical industry is the use of green hydrogen to convert
hydrogen from solar power in the Sahara region is still a carbon dioxide from combustion and oxidation process-
pipe dream, H2 production will tend to be installed close es into higher-value chemicals such as polymers or to
to the consumers in the short to medium term. This produce ammonia. In this way, chemical production
strategy is followed, for example, by the 24-MW electrol- could even become a carbon dioxide sink.
ysis project recently announced by Linde in Leuna. According to estimates by Hydrogen Europe, H2 pro-
In addition to the high energy density of hydrogen, it duction and the provision of equipment for hydrogen
is also easy to use and thus highly accepted by end users: projects could create a market with a volume of 130 bil-
Hydrogen can already be mixed with natural gas today, lion euros in Europe by 2030. By 2050, the experts even
for example, and transported via the natural gas grid expect a dizzying €820 billion market volume.
with a share of up to 15 %. At the end point, the ener- Conclusion: To achieve the goal of a decarbonised
gy-rich gas is either burned together with natural gas or economy and the 2 °C climate target, there is no way
separated again for use as hydrogen gas. around hydrogen. The decisions taken by European
politicians and other nations are likely to fuel develop-
Opportunities for European Industry ment significantly. Initial industry projects show that
In the Hydrogen Roadmap, the private research group the protagonists of the hydrogen economy are already
“Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking”, which preparing for this. ●
10 ChemPharm InnovationsChemicals
Race for Records in the Conversion of Green Electricity into Chemical Energy
Green Light for Green Hydrogen
Plant construction companies are in a record race for green hydrogen projects. Several
projects were announced at the beginning of the year. It became clear that the industry
is still at the very beginning of a rapidly accelerating development.
Green hydrogen is set to become a key com-
ponent of industry in the future.
Source: Thyssenkrupp
C
ompared to the targets the industry is now set- The fact that scaling up of already developed electrol-
ting itself, the latest political efforts at national ysis processes is the key to the large-scale production of
and European level seem modest: CHEMIE green hydrogen is also illustrated by the project that
TECHNIK 2020 has published almost 30 project reports Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers will realise for
on the subject of green hydrogen. And in early 2021, the Canadian energy company Hydro Québec in
things were already happening in quick succession. For Varennes, Québec, which was announced a few days lat-
example, Linde announced that the company plans to er: The 88 MW electrolysis plant is to produce 11,100 t of
build the world‘s largest hydrogen electrolysis plant in H2 annually from hydropower. Both the hydrogen and
Leuna based on proton exchange membrane technology the resulting oxygen are to be used in a biofuel plant that
PEM. The restriction to membrane technology, for produces biofuels for the transport sector from residual
which the company relies on ITM Power’s technology, waste. Commissioning is planned for the end of 2023.
justifies the “world record” of the 24-MW electrolyser. Last year, the plant manufacturer significantly expanded
And because the water electrolysis is to be carried out its production capacities for hydrogen electrolysis: the
exclusively with electricity from wind and solar energy, production capacity of Thyssenkrupp and its joint ven-
the hydrogen produced in Leuna is green hydrogen. The ture partner De Nora adds up to a total of one gigawatt.
gas supplier wants to sell this to industrial customers and The fact that these capacities are needed is also illus-
hydrogen filling stations in the eastern German region trated by what is currently probably the most ambitious
via the existing pipeline network in Leuna. The company hydrogen project to be built in Saudi Arabia: There, a
uses an example to illustrate the scale of the project: 600 joint venture of Air Products, Acwa Power and Neom
buses powered by fuel cells could travel 40 million km plans to build a hydrogen electrolysis plant on the Red
with the green hydrogen produced. Sea based on four gigawatts of solar and wind energy. The
Author
gas is to be converted into green ammonia and transport-
Large-scale and Mega-projects in Sight ed as such. The plant, which is scheduled to go into oper-
The record for hydrogen electrolysis using PEM technol- ation in 2025, will use electrolysis technology from
ogy was previously held by Shell with its refinery project Thyssenkrupp and an ammonia process from Haldor
in Wesseling, which was completed last year: ITM Power Topsoe. ●
Armin Scheuermann installed 10 MW of electrolysis capacity there. If the re-
is Editor-in-Chief of sults are positive, Shell intends to significantly expand You can find all relevant projects at
CHEMIE TECHNIK the plant in the future. www.chemietechnik.de/serp.html?q=wasserstoff
ChemPharm Innovations 11HOTSPOTS
Top 10: Largest Projects for Green Hydrogen
The project activity surrounding the production of CO2-free hydrogen is picking up speed. Most probably however, not
all the projects presented and announced here, will actually be realised. But given the European targets and projections,
as well as projects around the world, we see this at best as the tip of the iceberg for the next decade. Detailed project
descriptions can be found at www.chemietechnik.de
10 Green Ammonia
BP to Evaluate Project
in Australia
The list of the 10 largest projects
starts with an electrolysis capacity
of 1.5 GW. Shell is planning on this
scale at Geraldton, Australia, as part
of a feasibility analysis.
Image Source: Thomas – stock.adobe.com
9 Green Ammonia
Chilean Mine
to Go Green
In the Hyex project, Engie and its
mine operator Enaex are planning
to build a hydrogen production faci-
lity based on photovoltaic electricity
in Antofagasta, Chile. Scale: 1.6 GW
and 124 kt H2/a. Image Source: Enaex
8 Port of Oostende
Wind Becomes
Hydrogen
According to plans by Deme, PMV
and Port of Oostende, a 2.26-GW
electrolysis plant will be built in the
Belgian port by 2025 to produce 100
kt of H2 annually.
Image Source: Port of Oostende
7 Australia 6 3.6-GW Project
1.6 Billion Dollars for Pure Solar Energy
3-GW Electrolysis Austrom Hydrogen plans to go even bigger
The Hydrogen Utility H2U is plan- in Callide, Australia: more than 200 kt of H2
ning a plant in Gladstone, Australia, are to be produced annually by electrolysis.
that will produce 5 kt of H2 and NH3 Export by tanker to Japan and South Korea
per day – and has commissioned is planned. Name: Pacific Solar Hydrogen.
Thyssenkrupp to investigate its Image Source: Austrom Hydrogen
feasibility. Image Source: Thyssenkrupp
12 ChemPharm InnovationsChemicals
5 H2 and Ammonia
10-GW Electrolysis
on the Red Sea
We have already reported several times on
the Helios Green Fuels Project in Saudi Ara-
bia. It is part of the Neom project and is
being realised by Air Products using
Thyssenkrupp’s electrolysis. 10 GW are plan-
ned. Image Source: Thyssenkrupp
Source: malp – stock.adobe.com
4 China and Australia
Onshore Wind
and Photovoltaics
The fourth place is shared by two 5-GW pro-
jects in Kalbarri, Western Australia and Eqi-
anqi, Mongolia. The latter is scheduled for
completion this year. Both use wind and so-
lar power. Image Source: VinceGX – unsplash.com
2 GW
3 Heligoland Becomes H2 Hub
Windward
2 GW
2 GW 27 companies are currently examining the
2 GW
construction of a 10-GW electrolysis plant
on Helgoland under the project name Aqua-
2 GW Ventus – catapulting the project to third
0,3 GW
place in the global top 10. Image Source: RWE
2 Netherlands
Shell‘s Big Plans
Second place: “North H2” is currently the largest European project
that Shell plans to realise together with RWE and others in Eemsha-
ven: over 10 GW of electrolysis capacity and 1 million t H2/a.
1 At the Top with 14 GW
Hydrogen and Ammonia
NORTHERN
TERRITORY for Export
With 14 GW of electrolysis capacity, the
Australien Asian Renewable Energy Hub in Pilbra, Wes-
WESTERN
AUSTRALIA tern Australia, leads the top 10 global green
hydrogen projects. The consortium plans to
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA spend USD 36 billion on the project. Final
decision: 2025.
Image Soruce: Googlemaps – asianrehub
ChemPharm Innovations 13Chemicals
Sustainability and Climate Protection in Plant Engineering
Author
Bridge to a Green Future
Large-scale plant construction provides solutions for those branches of industry that
cause the most CO2 emissions. The industry thus has a decisive role to play in achieving
the climate targets. But where are the obstacles?
Ansgar Kretschmer,
Editor
14 ChemPharm InnovationsChemicals
“Hydrogen - the gamechanger”: Jürgen Nowicki (left) at the Achema Pulse Media Preview in an online interview with
presenter Martin Kloss. Source: CHEMIE TECHNIK
E
nergy efficiency and sustainability are currently ble, but they are difficult to reference and bring to mar-
among the most important topics in the process ket because customers do not want to be guinea pigs,”
industry. The programme of presentations by the explains Bormann.
assembled experts at the 7th Engineering Summit in The situation is aggravated by the fact that modern
November 2020 devoted one of the three days of the and climate-friendly technology usually involves consid-
event to the discussion of sustainability and climate neu- erable investment and often pays for itself comparatively
trality in large-scale plant construction. Since plant engi- slowly. “We are still struggling with the economic viabil-
neering supplies the emissions-intensive industries, ity,” confirms Martina Birk, Enviro Officer at the bot-
these points are understandably important: “We are the tling plant manufacturer Krones. “New technologies are
engine room of the industry; we are the ones who bring more expensive or require additional equipment. At the
Source: Phattana – stock.adobe.com
innovations to the market,” Dr Carola Kantz, Deputy current prices for electricity and heat, it‘s difficult to
Managing Director of the VDMA Power-to-X for Appli- show that a line will pay for itself in three to four years.
cations Working Group, aptly summarises. “And al- For most customers, the limit is around two years pay-
though our emissions are rather low, the leverage to re- back time.”
duce emissions with our products is huge.”
Economic Incentives are Missing
New Technology Means Risks The EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050 will not be
Energy-efficient and consequently emission-reducing achieved with more energy-efficient plants alone, and the
technologies to apply this lever are already available. The experts are also largely in agreement on this point. Rath-
plant and machinery manufacturers agree on this point. er, a transformation of the entire industry is necessary,
However, and here too there is no dissent among the said Philipp D. Hauser, project manager for industry in
suppliers, there is still a lot of catching up to do when it the Agora Energiewende project, in his keynote speech at
comes to “bringing them to market”. The industry’s in- the Engineering Summit. Otherwise, the major produc-
terest in energy-efficient and low-emission solutions is ers of CO2 emissions, namely the steel, cement and chem-
great, confirms Dr. Andreas Bormann, Vice President ical industries, could be doomed by the longevity of their
and Head of Product Line Sustainable Chemistry at plants. With a plant lifespan of 30 to 50 years, these in-
plant manufacturer Technip FMC: “Practically all our dustries are already dependent on efficient technologies
customers ask how they can promote sustainability”. that are economical in the long term: “The customer
There are several reasons why the necessary solutions must therefore rely on the fact that the economic efficien-
have not yet been implemented on a large scale. New cy will increase over the years,” explains Bormann. He
technologies always represent a risk for the operator also mentions one way in which this could be achieved:
compared to tried-and-tested technology. Without sig- “For example, through factors such as the CO2 price.“”
nificant reference projects, it is more difficult to elimi- Such political measures play an important role in making
nate this risk: “Many technologies are ready and availa- offered technologies economically viable: “The boundary
ChemPharm Innovations 15Chemicals
At the Summit Talk of the 7th Engineering Summit held online, (from left to right) Armin Scheuermann (moderator, Editor-in-Chief of CHEMIE
TECHNIK), Martina Birk (Environmental Officer, Krones), Dr. Andreas Bormann (Vice President, Product Line Sustainable Chemistry, Technip FMC),
(Deputy Managing Director, VDMA Power-to-X for Applications working group) and Helmut Knauthe (Chief Technology Officer, Thyssenkrupp In-
dustrial Solutions) discussed ways of achieving climate-friendly energy production. Source: CHEMIE TECHNIK
conditions must make it possible to get technologies into Chicken-or-Egg Problem
the market that cannot yet show this economic viability The challenges, but also the opportunities for plant
today,” emphasises Helmut Knauthe, Head of Technolo- manufacturers are similar, explained Jürgen Nowicki,
gy, Innovation & Sustainability at Thyssenkrupp Indus- CEO of Linde Engineering and spokesman for the VD-
trial Solutions. “No one will buy a new technology if it is MA’s working group Large Industrial Plant Manufactur-
not competitive with the classic technologies.” The pre- ing, recently at the preview event for the Achema Pulse
requisite for a transformation of the industry is therefore online trade fair. He describes a kind of chicken-and-
that politics creates economic incentives for such invest- egg problem: for example, hydrogen remained compar-
ments in the future with appropriate regulations. Experi- atively unattractive in mobility for a long time because
ence from the plastics industry, for example, has shown there were hardly any filling stations for hydrogen vehi-
that this is possible. Here, politically enforced recycling cles. At the same time, hydrogen filling stations are
quotas have not only already significantly increased the hardly worthwhile as long as there is little demand for
use of recycled material, but have also moved the indus- hydrogen vehicles. But it is precisely in mobility that
try itself towards greater acceptance and self-set targets. Nowicki sees the potential to establish hydrogen as a
fuel and energy carrier. “So we have invested in setting
Too Little Green Electricity up filling stations.” So here, too, it is the bold initial in-
Another bottleneck on the way to more sustainability is vestments that will only pay off in the long term, but are
the process industry’s comparatively high energy de- urgently needed to transform the industry. But then
mand or the lack of sustainable ways to meet it. Many of there is enormous potential in this market segment for
the low-emission technologies are dependent on “green plant manufacturers. Nowicki describes Linde’s hydro-
electricity”. So far, this is not available in sufficient quan- gen business as “tiny, but growing exponentially”. He
tities and thus limits the possibilities for decarbonisa- expects that one day it will indeed be possible to meet
tion. The current greatest hope in this area is the use of the growing demand with green hydrogen, and he also
hydrogen as an energy carrier. The potential of this confirms: “The technology is there”. Until the energy
emission-free technology is currently being discussed so supply, which is also green, is secured as an important
intensely that there is already talk of a “hydrogen revolu- prerequisite, grey and blue hydrogen are necessary
tion”. bridging technologies.
However, this hope also comes with other challeng- What is missing with existing technology is econom-
es: The hydrogen-based industry currently still suffers ic viability: “The challenge is that grey hydrogen is too
from similar problems to plant engineering and the cheap or green hydrogen is too expensive,” says Nowicki.
process industry. Most of the world’s already enormous Admittedly, simple stipulations such as a regulated hy-
demand for hydrogen is covered by “grey” hydrogen, drogen price could not be the solution, as this would
which is produced from fossil natural gas by steam re- threaten too many other industries. But in order to turn
forming with high CO2 emissions. Regeneratively pro- numerous announced good intentions into actual pro-
duced “green” hydrogen accounts for less than five per- jects and to open up the hydrogen market, additional
cent. securities and investment incentives are needed. ●
16 ChemPharm InnovationsWE SUPPORT
INNOVATIONS
As a modern specialist publisher we focus on professionals and executives
from the most diverse branches of industry – always competent and up-to-
date with the latest knowledge. Our large media offer ranges from print and
online via events to special services. This allows a successful and purposeful
communication.
www.huethig.de
Expertise competently conveyed.Event
The organisers (from left) Björn Mathes and Thomas Scheuring with presenter Martin Kloss at the Media Preview for Achema Pulse.
Source: CHEMIE TECHNIK
Digital Lecture Programme Achema Pulse
Something Delayed
Is not Something Lost
The second pandemic year does not make it easy for organisers to plan any event. In wi-
se foresight, Dechema Ausstellungsgesellschaft had already postponed its trade fair,
Achema, to 2022. And the present year will see the launch of a supplementary digital
lecture programme known as Achema Pulse.
Achema, which would have celebrated its centenary in event early. In the meantime, a digital lecture program-
2020, has been postponed not by one but by two years me has been planned: Achema Pulse. This will take place
Author due to the Corona pandemic. And this after the deputy from 15 to 16 June 2021 on a digital social media plat-
managing director of Dechema Ausstellungsgesellschaft form. At a pre-event for media representatives, the two
Björn Mathes said in an interview in 2019 that the fair managing directors of Dechema Ausstellungsgesell-
had already experienced and survived several economic schaft, Thomas Scheuring and Björn Mathes, provided
crises, a world war, and industrial revolutions. The atten- insights into the schedule of the event planned for the
dance event will now not take place until April 2022. The summer. Dechema, Ekato, Excellence United, GEA,
Nora Menzel, feedback from exhibitors was positive, as Dechema has OPC, Romaco and Siemens have been named as premi-
Editor given them some planning security by postponing the um partners. In total, more than 500 exhibitors have al-
18 ChemPharm Innovationsready registered, of which more than half come from
outside Germany. A total of almost 150 hours of strea-
FLUX
ming by live exhibitors is possible, as well as participati-
on in over 160 workshops and more than 90 hours of
specialist congress topics. Topics include the digital
transformation of the process industry, as well as the
OPHO
planned CO2 neutrality of large companies in the phar-
maceutical and chemical industries within the next two
decades. Accordingly, there will also be a focus on new
machines and equipment that make such projects possi-
BICCO
ble. In addition, another topic will be the long-running
issue of the hydrogen economy and, in view of the cur-
rent situation, also the question: What does the accelera-
ted vaccine production mean for machine and plant
ATING
manufacturers? Other highlights include cell recovery
for chemical production, chemical recycling and artifi-
cial intelligence.
The digital lecture programme is not intended to re-
place the face-to-face event, but to complement it in the
future. It is planned
that a digital event
will take place in the „Achema has experienced and We make complex matters very
years between two survived several economic crises, clear and offer a high degree of
Achemas. The social a world war and industrial
media platform deve- dependability and exceptional
revolutions.“
loped especially for editorial quality. This is why Hüthig’s
this purpose has al- specialist publications and websites
ready been tested during the preliminary event for me- are absolutely vital to experts and
dia representatives. Similar to a live event, it offers vari-
management in many sectors of
ous digital stages on which lectures, interviews and
workshops take place simultaneously. In addition, when business and industry.
they register, visitors can enter keywords on topics they
are particularly interested in. On this basis, they can
then later find exhibitors and other visitors with the sa-
me interests and contact them via the platform‘s messa-
ging function. While the digital lecture programme only
takes place on two days, the platform remains online for
a whole month. This allows visitors and exhibitors a
longer exchange.
Since the expansion of a digital platform for Achema
had already been discussed internally at Dechema in
2019, the pandemic did not catch the exhibition compa-
ny entirely off guard. And after the successful trial run of
the social media platform in March, it looks as if Björn
Mathes could add a global pandemic to his list of extre-
me situations that Achema has survived. ●
Achema Pulse Ticket Prices
The live programme will take making and the opportunity
place on 15 June from 8:15 for 1:1 video calls. However, it
to 20:30 and on 16 June bet- does not grant access to the
ween 7:00 and 21:00, in Eng- programme on the live stages
lish, on the dedicated event or the Congress. Since 01 Ap-
platform Talque. There are ril, the Pulse ticket costs 39
two ticket variants: the Pulse euros. The Premium Plus Ti-
Hüthig GmbH
Ticket and the Premium Plus cket, on the other hand, of-
Im Weiher 10
Ticket. The Pulse ticket inclu- fers unlimited access to all D-69121 Heidelberg
des all company profiles, ex- formats and costs 99 euros Tel. +49 (0) 6221 489-300
hibitor presentations, match- from 01 June. Fax +49 (0) 6221 489-310
www.huethig.de
ChemPharm Innovations 19
hue_image_Woerter_blau_56x257mm_engl.indd 1 08.12.2020 16:57:40Pharma
HOTSPOTS
Long Road to the Shot
Supplying the population with Corona vaccines poses an almost unprecedented challenge
to the industry. In addition to the vaccine developers, who are in the public eye, equipment
suppliers and service providers must also be on top form – from component production to
filling and logistics.
1 Components
A Vaccine Requires
over 100 Ingredients
When people think of vaccines, they usu-
ally imagine just one molecule. The reality
is much more complex: adjuvants (effect
enhancers), lipid nano-particles, plasmid
DNA, amino acids, salts, sugars, etc. all
number among the ingredients. Depen-
ding on the vaccine, more than 100 ingre-
dients may be needed. Image Source: Evonik
2 Production Equipment
Single-use in Vogue
The adoption of single-use technology is
the trend in vaccine production. This is be-
cause it offers an important time advan-
tage over stainless steel reactors and pipes
and other plant technology, especially
when plants have to be set up and scaled
up quickly. Image Source: Biontech
20 ChemPharm InnovationsPharma
3 Contract Manufacturing
and Filling
Do It Yourself is Rare
Pharmaceutical production is a world based
on the division of labour: processes are be-
coming ever specialised and require more
and more specific know-how. Added to this
is the desire for flexibility. Hence more and
more companies are concentrating on de-
velopment and marketing and leaving pro-
duction to contract manufacturers. Some
of them have already made headlines with
the Corona vaccine.
Image Source: Bayer
Source: Maksym Yemelyanov ‒ stock.adobe.com
4 Packaging
A Case for the Specialist
Finding the optimal packaging for vaccines
is a science in itself. The demands placed on
the primary packaging - usually a vial or a
pre-filled syringe - but also on the outer
packaging are high and the devil is in the
detail. In the case of the Corona vaccine,
there are comparatively few specialists in-
volved in this business. Image Source: Biontech
5 Logistics
The Vaccine,
that Comes in from the Cold
The new mRNA vaccines in particular are
extremely sensitive to heat stress and pose
new challenges for logistics. Just-in-time
concepts are therefore a must: 15 million
deliveries in cool boxes are necessary for 10
billion vaccine doses. This is an El Dorado
for specialised logistics companies, manu-
facturers of cooling boxes and cabinets as
well as providers of software for supply
chain management.
Image Source: Schaumaplast - Thermocon
Sou
rce
: ma
gan
n ‒ st
ock
.ad
ChemPharm Innovations 21
obe
.comPharma
Vaccine production at Pfizer in Puurs, Belgium. Numerous production steps are necessary before the Biontech-Pfizer preparation is finally pack-
aged in the vial. Source: Pfizer
Biontech-Pfizer: From Reactor to Vaccination Centre
Corona Vaccine –
How Is It Done?
Everyone hails Biontech and Pfizer for their pioneering work on their mRNA vaccine.
And as impressive as this is, it is worth broadening the perspective and taking a look at
the players involved in production of the vaccine. Who are they?
B
iontech developed five different mRNA vaccine have longer manufacturing and delivery times, and they
candidates based on its previous research on mR- also have to be cleaned between processes. Disposable
NA technology. After conducting non-clinical products can be dismantled and disposed of after the
and clinical trials, one candidate (BNT162b1) was select- process.
ed. Following a risk-benefit assessment, the competent Once the desired cell density is achieved, the cultures
national regulatory authorities granted approval for the are harvested and the cells are disrupted to expose the
production and sale of BNT162b1. plasmid DNA. The material obtained on cell disruption
is centrifuged or filtered, which initially removes larger
Virus mRNA Without Viruses fragments. Suppliers such as Eppendorf, Sartorius, Bio
Unlike conventional vaccines, no whole viruses need to Rad and Thermofisher are part of the value chain with
be grown for the production of mRNA vaccines. Instead, their consumables as well as laboratory equipment. This
only part of their DNA is required as a template for the also includes the chromatography columns needed in
Author subsequent mRNA. The required DNA can be synthe- the next step. The DNA is separated from the other cell
sised from an electronically available sequence and is debris using size-exclusion or anion-exchange chroma-
then introduced into bacterial cells as a plasmid by elec- tography.
troporation. The bacteria equipped with the viral DNA Transcription of the purified plasmid DNA is accom-
are cultivated as cell cultures in single-use bioreactors plished cell-free in reaction vessels by adding various
such as those produced by Sartorius. Single-use technol- enzymes and RNA building blocks (nucleoside triphos-
Nora Menzel, ogy provides a time advantage that is urgently needed phates, NTP). The resulting mRNA, like the plasmid
Editor due to the current pandemic. Stainless steel bioreactors DNA before it, must be separated from the other compo-
22 ChemPharm InnovationsPharma
Single-use technology is important in vaccine production because it brings
significant time advantages. Source: Sartorius
nents. The downstream processing is carried out by is part of a global manufacturing network contracted by
Rentschler Biopharma, for example; the company an- Biontech to formulate, fill, and package the vaccine. The
nounced its collaboration with Biontech in October LNPs with the included mRNA are finally sterile-filtered
2020. In the purification step, used enzymes, unincorpo- by Mibe and Pfizer themselves, among others, and filled
rated NTP and faulty, double-stranded mRNA as well as into sterile vials in an appropriate buffer.
the starting DNA are removed. Since mid-February, Bi-
ontech has also been carrying out all process steps, ex- Temperatures Far Below the Arctic Average
cept for filling, at its new site in Marburg. Pfizer fills the vaccine doses intended for distribution in
So that the mRNA can better enter the human cells Europe into vials made of borosilicate glass at its produc-
during vaccination, it is wrapped in so-called lipid na- tion site in Puurs, Belgium. The material is thermally
no-particles (LNPs). These consist of lipids and other resistant and also chemically inert, which means that the
raw materials that form a micelle around the active effect of the filled vaccine is not affected by interactions
substance. These raw materials are produced by the with the container.
companies Polymun and Croda. Polymun is an Austrian The vials are supplied by three different manufactur-
developer and manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals ers: Stevanato, Gerresheimer, and Schott. Borosilicate
based on mammalian cell technology and liposomes as glass was developed in 1887 by Otto Schott, one of the
drug delivery systems. The company uses cross-flow in- co-founders of the German glassworks of the same
jection technology, which is particularly suitable for name. Today, Schott is still primarily specialised in glass,
sensitive drugs due to the mild procedure. Croda is a in various manifestations for applications in pharmaceu-
specialty chemicals company that supplies products for tical packaging, household, optics, or electronics. Ste-
cosmetics, paints, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and vanato is an Italian company that produces pharmaceu-
cleaning agents. Recently, Croda acquired Avanti Polar tical glass products and claims to be the second largest
Lipids. Avanti, as the name suggests, specialises in the manufacturer of glass vials in the world.
production of lipids that aid the formulation of drugs or After the vaccine is filled into the vials described
their absorption into the human body. Croda entered above, they are flash frozen and stored in ultra-low tem-
into a five-year agreement with Pfizer in November 2020 perature freezers at –75 °C until they are shipped. This is
for the production of drug carriers. Subsidiary Avanti, colder than the winter temperature in most parts of the
which had previously been a long-standing partner, is Arctic. Theoretically, the doses retain their effect for up
also involved in this production. to six months when stored in this way. However, given
The formulation of the LNPs around the active ingre- the current situation, it is unlikely that this storage peri-
dient mRNA will be carried out by Dermapharm or its od will be exceeded.
subsidiary Mibe Arzneimittel, among others. In a press Pfizer uses a just-in-time system through which or-
release earlier this year, Dermapharm announced that it dered vaccine doses arrive at their recipient within three
ChemPharm Innovations 23Pharma
High demands are
placed on logistics,
the vaccine is
shipped in special
shipping packages
with temperature
control.
Source: Pfizer
days via road or air transport. This eliminates the need for example, are purchased from the manufacturers B.
to purchase ultra-low-temperature freezers at the vacci- Braun and Becton Dickinson.
nation centres by ensuring rapid deliveries when needed, Some of the syringes were also ordered from Gerres-
and the unopened transport boxes can maintain a con- heimer, which is also involved in supplying the glass vi-
stant temperature for up to ten days. The boxes are used als. Gerresheimer specialises for the most part in special
for temporary storage in the vaccination centres and are products made of glass and plastic for the medical and
also reusable. The packaging system used is from Soft- pharmaceutical industries, and to a lesser extent the
box, a UK-based manufacturer of temperature-con- cosmetics industry. B. Braun is also a German company
trolled packaging. The shipping packaging consists of a that was founded in 1839 as a pharmacy. Today, B. Braun
cardboard box with an integrated Styrofoam box, into specialises in the further development of medical thera-
the lid of which a GPS-enabled temperature sensor is pies. In addition to its product portfolio, the company
incorporated. This allows the temperature consistency of also offers services and consulting. The third major sy-
each box to be monitored remotely. A total of 23 kg of ringe supplier is Becton Dickinson, a US medical tech-
dry ice is filled into the Styrofoam box, into which five nology company. Similar to B. Braun, BD offers not only
boxes containing the filled vaccine doses are placed. The a product programme for medicine and life sciences, but
Styrofoam lid is closed, the temperature sensor activated, also services in these fields.
and the box prepared for shipping. As one of the largest In addition to syringes and needles, vaccination also
international pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer has a requires other consumables such as disposable gloves,
well-developed supply and cold chain management sys- swabs, disinfectants, plasters and sodium chloride solu-
tem. Nevertheless, it had to be revised because no such tion to dilute the concentrated vaccine. However, since
large delivery volumes had previously had to be trans- these materials can be produced quickly, there is no need
ported at such low temperatures. to fear a bottleneck here.
Consumables in the Vaccination Centres Long Production Chain
The German vaccination centres do not order directly for a Brief Needle Jab
from Biontech and Pfizer, but receive the vaccine doses What began with research into a new type of vaccine in
ordered by the federal government and distributed with- Mainz has now developed into a production network on
in Germany. Only the consumables needed for the vac- a global scale. Depending on the destination of the vac-
cination are stocked on site. The syringes and needles, cine doses produced, sub-steps are carried out at loca-
tions distributed around the world. In Europe, Puurs,
Belgium, is the main site for the production of the Coro-
German Production Sites for Corona Vaccines na vaccine. In the USA, the Kalamazoo site in the state
Besides the vaccine from Biontech promote production within its own of Michigan has this task. This is the only way to ensure
and Pfizer, others are also licensed country. You can see the current the reliability of the just-in-time system.
in Germany. However, only a small state of affairs in this regard and For the vaccinated person, the Corona vaccination is
proportion of them are produced in which projects are already planned only a small pinprick. Thanks goes to many different
Germany. In order to reduce de- online (www.pharma-food.de/imp- companies around the globe that this became possible at
pendence on imports, the German fstoff-standorte) in an interactive all. Fortunately for all of us, they had already planned
government wants to increasingly map. ahead when BNT162b1 was still in its infancy, in clinical
trial phase. ●
24 ChemPharm InnovationsYou can also read
