Trade News
Munich, 11 March 2013 – The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company, acquired the remaining shares of its partner Volker Wessels Stevin Deelnemingen in the OCAP joint venture (Organic CO2 for Assimilation by Plants). With immediate effect the supplier of industrial gases is thus the sole shareholder. The acquisition enables The Linde Group to reinforce its position in the global energy and environment growth market as one of the leading suppliers of clean technologies for its Clean Energy Programm.
The OCAP joint venture was founded in 2003. Up until now Linde owned 49 percent and Volker Wessels Stevin Deelnemingen 51 percent. The employees were provided by the two partners. In future Group subsidiary Linde Benelux will have full responsibility for the operational business of OCAP.
OCAP is a leading player in a very special market segment: as the supplier of gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Benelux region OCAP delivers CO2 to greenhouses between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The CO2-enriched atmosphere in the greenhouses promotes the growth of plants. The gas comes from the largest Shell refinery in Europe and a Abengoa bioethanol plant, both situated in the industrial harbour area of Rotterdam. If it was not used in greenhouses, the CO2 needed in the greenhouses would have to be produced by conventional means by burning natural gas.
Currently about 400,000 tonnes of CO2 is delivered to more than 580 greenhouses via an 97-kilometer long transport pipeline and an approximately 200-kilometer long distribution network. A smaller portion of the gas is delivered to the food industry and used to keep products fresh.
The re-use of 400,000 tonnes of CO2 by OCAP saves the combustion of 115 million cubic metres of natural gas and avoids the emission of 205,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of CO2. This volume approximately corresponds to the output of a west European city with a population of 150,000.
About The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2012 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 15.280 bn. The strategy of the Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com