LANXESS Switches to Pipeline-Supplied Hydrogen for German Pigment Plant Dryer

LANXESS announced that it has converted the spray dryer at its Krefeld-Uerdingen production site in Germany from natural gas to continuous hydrogen fuel operation, cutting site emissions by approximately 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The spray dryer, used to dry iron oxide pigments, represents one of the first large-scale industrial drying systems in Germany to transition to hydrogen fuel in continuous commercial operation. The hydrogen is supplied directly by neighbouring materials manufacturer Covestro, which generates the gas as an industrial byproduct during chlorine electrolysis, transferring it to LANXESS via an integrated pipeline.

How LANXESS Converted the Spray Dryer to Hydrogen

LANXESS installed the dedicated hydrogen burner at the end of 2025 and has progressively brought the unit online. Engineered to operate entirely on hydrogen fuel, the technical integration required dedicated supply piping, customized burner hardware, revised measurement and control instrumentation, and specialized safety systems.

LANXESS on Decarbonizing Pigment Production

Michael Ertl, Head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit at LANXESS, said, "Switching from a natural gas burner to a hydrogen burner is a significant technological step towards low-greenhouse-gas processes. We are proving that decarbonizing industry works not only in pilot projects, but also in the day-to-day operation of large production facilities."