Evonik to double gas membrane production with new Schörfling facility

Germany-based multinational specialty chemicals manufacturer Evonik Industries has recently broken ground in its Schörfling, Austria site. The company is building a new operations complex for producing gas separation membrane modules of its Sepuran brand.

The new complex will house a new hollow fiber spinning plant as well as further spaces for research and development, application technology, and another warehouse. The expansion will double the company’s existing production capacity and will bring 30 new jobs to Schörfling. The facility is expected to open in late 2017.

Klaus Engel, chairman of the Evonik Executive Board, said during the groundbreaking ceremony: “As one of our growth fields, the membrane business is an outstanding example of the way we access new markets with innovative products. With today’s groundbreaking ceremony, we continue the success story of our membrane business and position ourselves as a technology leader in the attractive market for gas separation.”

Currently, the company’s Schörfling plant is producing gas separation modules primarily for the biogas market and for hydrogen and helium recovery. The new hollow fiber spinning plant will focus on the manufacture of membrane modules for efficient on-site nitrogen generation.

“We want to supply the gas separation market with tailor-made products that make a significant contribution to greater efficiency for our customers. The investment in Schörfling creates additional opportunities to further broaden our membrane portfolio,” noted Dr. Claus Rettig, chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH.

Sepuran membranes offer a particularly efficient method for separating gases such as methane, nitrogen, or hydrogen from gas mixtures. The advantages of Evonik membrane technology for gas separation include more precise separation of gases and greater productivity.

The company’s plant in Lenzing near the Schörfling site manufactures the source material polyimide, a high-performance polymer, which is spun and then further processed in Schörfling. The infrastructure in Lenzing will be upgraded accordingly as part of the site expansion.

Evonik’s Sepuran product family includes membranes for biogas processing, on-site nitrogen generation as well as for helium and hydrogen recovery.