(openPR) - The industrial gas specialist Messer has developed a concept for the “Green Paper Mill” – this is designed to enable all the CO2 produced in paper production to be recycled.

The industrial gas specialist Messer nominated itself for the award TRIGOS Lower Austria 2011 with the “Green Paper Mill” concept. The TRIGOS is Austria’s award for Corporate Social Responsibility. Each year outstanding examples of entrepreneurial commitment are awarded prizes. Helmut Gutenberger from Messer in Austria and Robert Schlatter from Messer in Switzerland have developed the concept of the “Green Paper Mill”. A modular system would permit the use of energy and fresh water during paper production to be decreased while at the same time reducing the emissions in particular of substances which require a certificate, such as carbon dioxide. It is believed that it could be possible to recycle all the CO2 created in paper production.

Industrial gases to combat emissions and power consumption

Operation of a paper mill entails large amounts of different raw materials and significant impacts on the environment. The “Green Paper Mill” concept proffers a solution: The combination of an air separation plant for producing air gases such as oxygen and nitrogen and a paper mill enables large-scale synergies between paper production, power generation and air separation to be utilised, thus reducing the consumption of energy and fresh water and decreasing CO2 emissions and the use of various chemicals. Depending on the parameters required for paper production, it is even conceivable that the air gases produced and the carbon dioxide generated could be completely recycled in the paper production process.

In many industrialised countries the paper industry is one of the largest energy consumers. In particular the milling and grinding processes required for processing the pulp needed to produce paper consume a large amount of energy. The specific power requirements here amount to between 1500 and 2200 kWh per tonne of pulp. This is where one process element of the “Green Paper Mill” comes into play: It can significantly reduce the specific energy consumed during the pulp milling process. Further environmental impacts accounted for in the “Green Paper Mill” concept involve in particular water consumption, emissions of pollutants into the air and waste water, and the use of problematical chemicals.

The TRIGOS is awarded to companies which, regardless of their size, demonstrate the most holistic CSR commitment and implement the best project. The renowned entrepreneurs’ prize is awarded for the categories “Workplace”, “Society”, “Market” and “Ecology”. The TRIGOS Lower Austria will be presented on 12 May.

Messer is one of the leading industrial gas companies, and is active in over 30 countries in Europe and Asia, as well as Peru, with over 60 operating companies. Its international activities are managed from Frankfurt am Main, whilst management of core technical functions – logistics, engineering, production and applications engineering – is undertaken from Krefeld. In 2010, 5,288 employees generated consolidated sales of € 909 million.
From acetylene to xenon, the Messer Group has one of the most diverse product portfolios on the market – it produces industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, shielding gases for welding, specialty gases, medical gases and many different gas mixtures.
The Messer Group has state-of-the-art research and competence centers in which it develops applied technologies for the use of gases in almost every sector of industry, in food technology and environmental technology, medicine as well as research and science.

Messer Group GmbH
Vice President
Corporate Communications
Diana Buss
Gahlingspfad 31
47803 Krefeld

Phone: +49 (0) 2151 7811-251
Fax: +49 (0) 2151 7811-598
Email: diana.buss@messergroup.com
www.messergroup.com