The production of high-quality, environmentally friendly, and efficient additives for various industrial markets, agriculture, food, and the medical sector. That’s what Kisuma, established in Veendam since 1999, is focused on. These magnesium compounds enable customers to innovate and transform in terms of sustainability and better products.
Kisuma is part of a company that operates worldwide. Around 120 employees work in Veendam. Most are from the local area, but PhD students from the University of Groningen and the University of Applied Sciences also find their way to Kisuma.
Sustainability The company continuously seeks ways to make its production processes more efficient and environmentally friendly. Over the past 5 years, waste has been reduced by 39%, water usage per ton of product has decreased by 20%, gas consumption has been reduced by 21%, and CO₂ emissions have decreased by 21%. “Our sustainability journey is far from over,” says Philip Mulders, Commercial and Business Development. “We aim to be CO₂ neutral in our entire chain by 2035.”
To achieve this, Kisuma plans to purchase a large electric boiler. Mulders says, “The preparatory work has been completed, and now we are just waiting for permits, which takes a long time. The advantage of this boiler is that, under favorable conditions, such as strong winds, we can produce electricity instead of using gas. This offers us and other companies in the area more flexibility and is also better for the environment.”
European Partners Climate change and the challenges our environment faces receive significant attention within the company, not only internally but also externally. Kisuma is conducting research with TNO to find ways to reduce CO₂ emissions in companies. Mulders says, “We are working closely with various European partners in several EU Horizon-funded CO₂ reduction projects, such as STEPWISE, FReSMe, and INITIATE. For this, Kisuma has developed and produced a key component, a type of tablet, which is applied in TNO's Sorption Enhanced Water Gas Shift (SEWGS) technology. SEWGS captures CO₂ and hydrogen. This allows for the creation of new products. It’s a solution to reduce the CO₂ footprint of large companies, such as those in the steel industry, chemicals, refining, fertilizer production, and power plants.” The SEWGS method has already been successfully tested at Swedish steel company SSAB.
“Thanks to these developments, captured hydrogen and CO₂ can be used productively, for example, to produce methanol. There are already ships sailing on methanol. But you can also make ammonia or urea from it. The latter is used in fertilizer production.”
Greening Capturing CO₂ is becoming increasingly important. Large industrial companies are already paying for their CO₂ emissions through the European Emissions Trading System and the national CO₂ tax. They have to buy emission rights. Companies can reduce these costs by investing in cleaner technologies. Therefore, they have a strong incentive to minimize their CO₂ emissions.
New Factory Back to the SEWGS method. Mulders says, “We hope to sign the first commercial agreement in the near future. For that, a new factory in Veendam might need to be built to meet the demand for the ‘tablets.’ For this, we will also need to apply for the necessary permits, and cooperation with other parties is required.”
“Our goal is to serve the market well, which means a global market. We are at a turning point. The technology is almost fully developed. We are now on the brink of building a ‘first of a kind plant.’ But when will we close that deal, and how long will it take to build the factory? That’s the dilemma we are currently facing.”
There is no need to emphasize the urgency in the market. “Everyone is convinced that we must continue producing, but it should not come at the expense of the environment. This is why developments are happening very quickly now, and Kisuma can play a crucial role in this. We see a bright future in developing solutions that enable even better sustainable results.”
