SHL Medical joins “Association for the Decarbonization of Industries”

To support the development of rapidly implementable and holistic approaches to CO2 reduction in the industrial environment, SHL Medical has joined the “Association for the Decarbonization of Industries”. The recently founded association focuses on new hydrogen production processes for the decarbonization of industrial high-temperature processes and logistics.

The initiative thus ties in seamlessly with SHL Medical’s ESG strategy and the organization’s approach to sustainability which includes CO2 reduction and the conservation of the environment.

The diverse, renowned founding members from various support the association both financially and in practical ways, e.g., by providing the equipment and facilities needed for process development.

Using new hydrogen processes to combat carbon dioxide emissions

Since the 1970s, CO2 emissions have increased by about 90 percent – the largest polluters are considered to be fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes. The ongoing gradual increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is a significant contributor to the disruption of the earth’s climate over the last century. Technologies with reduced or even negative CO2 emissions are therefore required on a large scale in order to achieve the CO2 targets. The Association for the Decarbonization of Industries in Zug, Switzerland, is exploring two approaches to this.

In a planned demonstration plant in the Tech Cluster Zug, a novel hydrogen production process – the so-called methane pyrolysis – is to be applied to decarbonize high-temperature industrial processes. This new approach features several unique achievements. This process can use the same fossil natural gas that is commonly burned in many industrial processes. However, instead of emitting the CO2 into the atmosphere, the carbon (chemical C) can be captured as charcoal with this process and used as a working material in the construction industry or as a valuable additive for the soil. In a possible next step, the use of synthetic methane even leads to negative CO2 emissions, since more CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere to produce the synthetic methane than is subsequently re-emitted in all process steps.

In parallel, a decentralized electrolysis plant for the electricity-based production of hydrogen from water is also to be realized. Operating such plants at the point of hydrogen use instead of at the site of a power plant results in fewer hydrogen transports and the process heat can be used on site as valuable energy instead of simply releasing the heat into the atmosphere.

By joining the association, SHL Medical is helping to give a boost to these technologies and the urgently needed reduction of CO2.

SHL Medical CEO Ulrich Faessler comments: “As a proud partner of Tech Cluster Zug and forthcoming tenant of the Südtor building, we are thrilled to be part of this initiative. Not only is our upcoming European manufacturing site connected to the Tech Cluster’s Multi Energy Hub, but we are now also proactively driving positive change by supporting new technologies that reduce or even cancel out CO2 emissions. As a member of this association, we are taking a significant step toward future-proofing SHL and meeting our ambitious sustainability goals”.