Biomass replaces lignite dust at Köhlerpappen GmbH in Gengenbach
In 2020, the German government decided to impose a CO₂ levy on all fossil fuels, with effect from 2021. For Köhlerpappen GmbH, Gengenbach, this means that significant additional costs will be incurred from 2023 onwards. The construction of a new carbon-neutral steam generation plant will enable the company to reduce these costs by around 80%. The flagship project will be realised by means of the Green Steam concept developed by Magdeburg-based GETEC heat & power GmbH. Köhlerpappen is thus taking another big step towards climate-neutral production. Green Steam is an acceleration programme for greater sustainability, whereby our energy supply is switched from a fossil supply to a climate-neutral solution.
The biomass heating plant operates with an output of 8 MWth. It generates 12 tonnes of process steam per hour, which is needed for the production of high-quality cardboard. Forest chips and other wood residues are used as fuels. GETEC is responsible for planning, implementation and fuel procurement. Köhlerpappen operates the plant as a tenant. The plant is partly financed by subsidies from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which have been approved by the German Bundestag.
Goals
By 2030, Köhlerpappen GmbH aims to reduce its CO₂ emissions by at least 80% from the current 32,500 tonnes per year. In converting the previous steam generation from pulverised lignite to biomass (forest chips and waste wood of classes 1 and 2), approximately 19,000 tonnes of CO₂ will be saved per annum. This already approximates to 60% of the company’s current CO₂ emissions.
“The provision of affordable energy in the form of electricity, gas and hydrogen is the basic prerequisite for retaining energy-intensive industry and SMEs in Germany. To ensure this, the necessary infrastructure such as power lines, expansion of wind power plants and H₂ transmission grids must be built or expanded as quickly as possible. This is a task that the politicians must address as a priority.”
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