DSM in Energy: Bringing power to the people
From resins that coat gargantuan wind turbines, to powering alternative energy sources, to solar coatings for glass, to water purification, to drilling for precious oil…we’re putting all our energy into saving - and creating - energy.
The great challenge faced by the energy industry – and every one of us as individuals – is simple. No matter how much we try to be sensible, ethical and energy-efficient…the modern world isn’t always set up for us to succeed. Our mission at DSM is to change all that. We’re making good progress…
In renewable energy
DSM is a world leader in biogas – a renewable energy source that uses biotechnology to break down and convert waste streams and low-value energy crops (manure, sewage, household waste, grains) into energy and fertilizer. Our enzymes are now being used by more than 100 biogas plants to increase their efficiency by up to 15%. We advise plant operators, plant owners and investors on biomass operation and efficiency improvements. The result: A stable biogas plant and more revenues.
We’re also looking at how to help the industry optimize chemical supplies, specifically by turning away from traditional fossil-feedstock-based refineries to biorefineries that use non-edible crops and agricultural residues as a viable alternative to crude oil and natural gas.
DSM is at the forefront of these game-changing developments. Not only do we produce enzymes and yeasts that form the technological heart of the biomass conversion within the biorefinery; we also create new molecules from what the biorefinery produces, creating renewable products for today and generations to come.
In wind turbines our Synolite™ 1790-G composite resin is now being used to make lighter, stronger and more durable blades. Our resins help reduce the carbon footprint of the windmills and turbines themselves as the curing procedure of the blades can be performed at room temperature, which enables manufacturers to reduce total system costs by up to 40% (much of it energy) compared to epoxy resin-based systems.
Continuing the theme of wind power, our Dyneema® fiber is used to make the ropes that pull and hoist the gigantic SkySails now being used to propel commercial ships – reducing fuel consumption and emissions by up to 35%.
Now our sights are turning to steel and aluminum constructions, using our composite materials to achieve concentrated solar power. Our lightweight resins enable solar modules to follow the direction of the sun more easily; as well as providing better energy efficiency thanks to a solid back structure that allows for even thinner mirrors with higher reflection.
In offshore oil exploration
As the planet’s need for oil intensifies so too do the lengths – and depths - to which we search to find it. Our Dyneema® fiber is 15 times stronger than steel yet far lighter. Which is why it’s a key ingredient in a new generation of industrial lines and ropes that are anchoring oil rigs up to two miles below the waves – as well as being used to tow gigantic vessels and equipment needed for oil exploration.
Our position as one of the leading manufacturers of acrylonitrile, the raw material for acrylamide is also proving critical here. This remarkable polymer can absorb water up to 200 times its volume. Hence, oil production platforms inject it into depleted oil reservoirs in the seabed where it literally soaks up the water and pushes the oil to the surface.
In solar energy
Our KhepriCoat™ anti-reflective (AR) coating technology increases light transmission in glass cover plates for solar modules, which in turn increases the solar module efficiency. In fact, KhepriCoat™ was used on photovoltaic modules that broke the world record for multi-crystalline solar transmission.
