EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH reaffirmed its role as a key enabler of sustainable industrial transformation. Through pioneering development projects and strategic partnerships, the Leipzig-based company is advancing innovative process technologies that unite efficiency, climate protection, and economic viability. EDL thus demonstrates that progress in plant engineering and responsibility for future generations are inseparably linked.
Facing global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and energy crises, EDL, together with its partners, is working on innovative process technologies that accelerate the transition to a low-carbon industry. Current initiatives focus on three key areas: green ammonia, sustainable fuels from heavy bio-oil, and plasma catalysis for CO₂ utilization.
Green ammonia as a key fuel of the future
As part of research collaborations, EDL is involved in the development of a CO₂-free process to produce ammonia from air, water, and renewable energy sources. This process can form the basis for the defossilization/decarbonization of shipping and the chemical industry. Green ammonia, with its high energy density and purity, is poised to become a central energy carrier and raw material for sustainable fine chemicals, cosmetics, and personal care products. Together with partners, novel propulsion systems and onboard power solutions based on ammonia solid oxide fuel cells are also being investigated - with the goal of further improving energy efficiency and air quality in the maritime sector.
Circular economy through bio-oil upgrading
The conversion of heavy bio-oil into sustainable marine fuels and high-value by-products opens new pathways for innovation in the refining sector. By integrating alternative process routes into existing infrastructures, refineries can be further developed into ‘hybrid systems’ that deliver low-carbon fuels while producing valuable chemicals and materials. This approach supports the defossilization/decarbonization of shipping with ready-to-use solutions and addresses the growing shortage of by-products that have traditionally been supplied by conventional refineries.
CO₂ as a raw material – plasma technology as a gamechanger
A new CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage) process based on low-temperature plasma technology offers the possibility of synthesizing hydrocarbons. In this process, CO₂ from industrial point sources and biogas is converted into CO₂-neutral hydrocarbons (C1–C4). With ongoing development, plasma technology could redefine the way we use and valorize CO₂ - transforming a global challenge into a renewable resource.
“These initiatives are part of a holistic approach to industrial sustainability - driven by the conviction that technological innovation and responsible action are inseparably linked. EDL sees itself as an initiator and enabler, working together with partners from research and industry to shape the path toward a climate-neutral future. Technical excellence alone is not enough; what matters is the shared vision of creating resilient and future-proof systems that bring in line economic and ecological interests,” says Daniel Oryan, EDL’s Managing Director.
