Evonik to expand membrane production in Austria

Evonik Industries will expand its Schorfling site in Austria, where the group will build another operations complex for producing gas separation membrane modules of its Sepuran® brand.

In addition to a new hollow fibre spinning plant, the facility will include further spaces for research and development, application technology, and another warehouse. Overall, Evonik is investing an amount in the mid double-digit million Euro range. The new plant, which will double the existing production capacity is scheduled to open in late 2017 and will bring more than thirty new jobs to Schorfling.    

   

Evonik’s Schorfling plant is currently producing gas separation modules primarily for the biogas market and for hydrogen and helium recovery. The new hollow fibre 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 Schorfling 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 Schorfling site manufactures the source material polyimide, a high-performance polymer, which is spun and then further processed in Schorfling. The infrastructure in Lenzing will be upgraded accordingly as part of the site expansion.