TAGS: Sustainability / Natural Solutions
Brüggemann invests at its Heilbronn headquarters, Germany around 13 million euros for energy infrastructure - construction of a biomass heating plant – path set for further CO2 reduction through a forward-looking engineering design.
Two main goals will be reached by the start-up of the biomass heating plant at Brüggemann after a construction period of about one and a half years: the newly constructed plant contributes to a substantial reduction of CO2 emissions and at the same time secures the energy supply at the Heilbronn production site, Germany.
More Efficient Use of Thermal Energy
Until now, steam requirements have been covered by a coal-fired power plant operated by a major energy supplier near the Heilbronn, Germany site.
“
Steam as a heat transfer medium is essential for various production processes, for example in drying processes for high-performance additives for engineering thermoplastics or in the rectification of alcohols,” says managing director HansPeter Gabski. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is an important part of our sustainability strategy. When designing the biomass heating plant, we have already planned the next steps in our head - by means of a more efficient use of thermal energy, we can and will realize even further CO
2 savings in the future,” explains Gabski.
This is where the biomass heating plant takes over - today, the new plant supplies around 10 to/h of sustainably generated steam, using mainly residual wood as fuel, which is customized by regional companies and supplied to Brüggemann.
In 2018, the company had already started to come up with a more sustainable and non-fossil energy generation concepts for processing heat. “When the opportunity arose to acquire a plot of land adjacent to the company premises from the city of Heilbronn in Germany, all pre-conditions were set to realize such a project,” recalls project manager Oliver Busch.
Energy Supply in Line with High Sustainability Demands
Hans-Peter Gabski thanks the employees of the city administration as well as the city's committees, “
The excellent collaboration between all stakeholders was key for the successful realization of the project and thus to the further securing of the location.”
Investment in the latest technology with its state-of-the-art process technology, the new plant is an excellent fit for the Brüggemann site in Heilbronn, Germany where there has been continuous investment in high-tech production facilities in recent years. ‘Chemical specialties’, as developed and manufactured by Brüggemann, require the highest standards of product safety and traceability, but also a high degree of flexibility.
“
Especially in times when a steady production workload is a particular challenge in almost all industries due to strongly fluctuating demands and sometimes unreliable supply chains, our international customers count on us as a reliable and at the same time innovative partner” explains Managing Director Dr. Stefan Lätsch.
Lätsch underlines the ambitious plans of the company, “
With increased innovation and the development of new products in the field of reducing agents and antioxidants, as well as for plastic additives with products that are used in the field of e-mobility and in plastics recycling, we will continue to secure the stable growth path of the company with increasing production volumes in the future. An efficient energy supply in line with the high demands on sustainability is one of the cornerstones of our strategy; the current investment of around EUR 13 million in the energy infrastructure visibly illustrates this.”
Discover Comprehensive Portfolio of Additives by Brüggemann
Source: Brüggemann