FBR Summer 2023 - Flipbook - Page 12
Koehler
IndustryGroup
News
Ground-breaking ceremony
for EUR70 million project
C
onstruction work began on
the Koehler Group’s combined
heat and power plant in
Oberkirch with a ceremonial
ground-breaking on 21 April, 2023.
The existing power plant is expected
to be expanded and converted by
Autumn, 2024, to ensure biomass is
burnt in an environmentally- friendly
way in future.
Decarbonising energy and steam
generation is part of the Koehler
Group’s climate strategy. The
inaugural test run of the converted
lignite power plant at Koehler Paper’s
site in Greiz was launched at the end
of March with a visit from Wolfgang
Tiefensee, Thuringia’s Minister for
the Economy, Science and Digital
Society. The site now uses fine wood
fractions, a more environmentallyfriendly and sustainable fuel that will
save 24,000 metric tons of CO2 per
year. In the long term, both Germany
and the EU are striving to become
10 Forest Bioenergy Review Summer 2023
climate neutral. The EU is aiming to
reach this milestone by 2050, while
Germany is targeting 2045. The
Koehler Group has set out even more
ambitious targets and is aiming to
generate more energy from renewable
sources than is required for paper
production by 2030. To mark the
official start of construction at the
power plant in Oberkirch, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended
by the Mayor of Oberkirch, Christoph
Lipps, external project partners and
members of the Koehler Group project
team, among others. Kai Furler, CEO
of the Koehler Group, emphasised:
“We don’t view sustainability as a
trend, but as a necessity for society’s
long-term survival. By converting the
power plant at our headquarters in
Oberkirch, we have made a significant
step towards climate neutrality”.
Converting the power plant to
biomass will save 150,000 metric
tonnes of CO2 per year.
In order to generate the energy
to produce various special papers
from biomass going forwards, the
Koehler Group has invested over
EUR70 million in the Oberkirch site.
The existing power plant, which was
built in 1986, is being adapted for the
new fuel through various conversion
measures. In addition, two collection
points for unloading trucks and
corresponding silos will be built. In
future, Koehler will use wood chips,
green waste and mill residue as fuel.
The advantage of using biomass as
a fuel is not only is it carbon neutral,
but it is also widely available as only
natural wood from the region is used.
The Koehler Group will continue to
reduce its carbon footprint through
efficient processes, one step at a time.
The switch to biomass is also
a vital step towards securing the
Oberkirch site, where over 1,000 jobs
depend on the company’s sustainable
approach. There are limits as to the
size of the site due to its location,
so as a result of this, upgrading
the existing power plant was the
best option to ensure production is
environmentally-friendly. Alongside
the conversion of the power plant, the
‘cold reserve’ is also being expanded,
which can be activated in the event of
a shutdown. Burning biomass requires
significantly more maintenance
work than previously, which causes
stoppages. Biomass is also not as
efficient as black coal. The larger cold
reserve, which will be operated using
natural gas instead of heating oil, will
however ensure a smooth production
process.
In the long run, the Koehler Group
will use biomass as an energy source
at a lower cost than before. There
are even plans for a mains parallel
operation, whereby surplus green
energy is then fed into the public grid.
More information:
www.koehler.com