Sokolovska Chemicka Takes First Steps To Cut Its Carbon Footprint

Sokolovská chemička Synthomer is the first company in the Czech Republic to start taking so-called green nitrogen from Linge Gas production. Thanks to its ecological production from renewable sources, the carbon footprint is reduced and thus contributes to the protection of the climate and the environment. The costs of green products are higher, but it did not discourage the Sokolov chemical plant, director Milan Brejchal told reporters.

Deliveries of green nitrogen to the Sokolov chemical plant began in January this year. In seven months, it removed more than 1,000 tons of green nitrogen. “We use it both for production purposes, because the chemical industry cannot do without nitrogen, but also to prepare equipment for safe shutdown,” said Brejchal.

Thanks to green nitrogen, Synthomer has managed to reduce its carbon footprint by 497 tonnes of carbon dioxide since January. For comparison, a car with an annual mileage of 20,000 kilometers is a source of 2,448 tons of carbon dioxide per year. From January to July, the chemical plant saved the same amount of CO2, which is produced by 203 passenger cars with a range of 20,000 kilometers a year, said Brejchal.

Green products include liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. “We produce gases from air, we divide air into individual components. The key raw material for the production of liquid product is electricity, standard in the Czech Republic from nuclear and coal power plants. However, for green product we use clean energy from renewable sources, solar and wind power,” Sales and Marketing Director of Linde Marek Peterka. According to him, there is interest in green products, environmentally friendly business is a priority for more and more companies in the Czech Republic and in the world.

Although Sokolovská chemička is not the largest polluter in the region, it is one of the major producers in terms of CO2 emissions. According to the Czech Environmental Information Agency (CENIA), it produced 110,491 tons of CO2 in 2019, while the nearby Tisová power plant belonging to the Sokolovská uhelná group of companies produced 609,484 tons, ie six times more.

Synthomer is taking further steps in the greening of production. It is building a new energy source for almost 140 million crowns, thanks to which it will switch from a coal source to a gas source and thus significantly reduce the production of carbon dioxide. It is also completing an ecological production line for waste water disposal, thanks to which treated water can return to nature.