The Busch Group Drives Sustainable Future Technologies

24.10.2024

October 24 is International Day of Climate Action, which aims to raise awareness of climate change and to highlight the importance of environmental protection. To mark this day, the Busch Group presents some of the sustainable future technologies that it is involved in.

Vacuum is used for the manufacturing of solar panels. Source: gettyimages.com – xijian.

Vacuum is needed for many innovative, environmentally friendly technologies. The Busch Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers, compressors and gas abatement systems, is not only committed to reducing its own energy consumption and promoting renewable energies. With its three strong brands Busch Vacuum Solutions, Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions and centrotherm clean solutions, the company is also involved in the development of future technologies that contribute to counteracting climate change.

Solar cell manufacture and solar power generation

This includes developments in the field of renewable energies, such as in the manufacture of solar cells. Vacuum plays a key role in the creation of solar panels. Thanks to vacuum, the panels can be manufactured faster, are more efficient and have a longer service life. The Busch Group offers reliable vacuum solutions for different stages of solar panel manufacturing – and promotes its own use of renewable energies: The company operates solar power systems at sales companies and production sites in China, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Korea, South Africa, Austria, Romania, Switzerland and Spain.

Reducing CO₂ emissions through carbon capture

Vacuum technology from the Busch Group also plays an important role in carbon capture: The use of fossil fuels contributes significantly to increasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the Earth’s atmosphere – one of the gases that cause the greenhouse effect and the resulting climate change. Carbon capture aims to help curb the further rise of carbon dioxide and mitigate global warming. The use of vacuum in this technology significantly increases the efficiency of the capture processes.

There are two forms of carbon capture. Industries with high CO₂ emissions use carbon capture technologies to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, it is possible to filter previously emitted carbon dioxide from the ambient air in a process known as direct air capture (DAC). Vacuum pumps from the Busch Group are used for both industrial carbon capture and direct air capture.

Hydrogen: a major energy source of the future

Another future technology for which the Busch Group offers comprehensive solutions are hydrogen fuel cells. These are considered sustainable and environmentally friendly as water vapor is their only emission. Unlike fossil fuels that release CO₂ and other pollutants, fuel cells do not contribute to air pollution or the greenhouse effect. They can be more efficient than combustion engines or traditional power plants, reducing overall energy consumption. In addition, fuel cells are highly efficient in converting hydrogen into electrical power.

Pfeiffer and Busch have specialized in developing innovative products that make a key contribution to advancing this technology. With sophisticated leak testing procedures and state-of-the-art hydrogen recirculation blowers, they offer solutions that significantly improve both the safety and efficiency of fuel cells.

Nuclear fusion technology: sustainable energy of the future

The Busch Group has also been a long-term partner for many international fusion projects. Nuclear fusion, as it takes place in the sun, generates energy through the fusion of hydrogen isotopes and offers enormous potential for an almost inexhaustible and comparatively clean energy supply. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and is also available in large quantities on Earth. However, implementing this technology comes with some challenges. The sun is surrounded by vacuum. On Earth, virtually material-free spaces must first be created. Therefore, vacuum technology is an indispensable component of all technical approaches to the realization of nuclear fusion on Earth.

Moreover, the Busch Group company Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions is an active member of the Fusion Industry Association (FIA), the trade association of the international nuclear fusion industry, where it directly and indirectly networks with all the startups driving this technology worldwide. Pfeiffer brings decades of experience to the development of tailored vacuum solutions that are essential for the operation of fusion reactors. As a complete solution provider, the company offers concepts for vacuum generation, vacuum measurement and analysis, leak detection and vacuum chambers.

Sustainability excellence

The Busch Group is also dedicated to making its own production processes more environmentally friendly. This is reflected in its active participation in numerous sustainability initiatives.

For example, the Busch Group company Pfeiffer has committed to implementing the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and participates in the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

Pfeiffer’s achievements in sustainability have already been recognized: The Pfeiffer site in Asslar, Germany, was recently awarded the gold medal in the renowned EcoVadis sustainability rating for the second time, positioning the company among the top 2% of all manufacturing companies assessed worldwide.

The Busch Group is committed to the development of sustainable future technologies and is consistently dedicated to making its own manufacturing processes ever more environmentally friendly.

More information at: www.buschvacuum.com