Eco-friendly energy for Progroup’s site in Sandersdorf-Brehna: Start of construction of waste-to-energy plant
“Our aim is to have zero reliance on fossil fuels and be fully carbon-neutral by 2045,” explains Maximilian Heindl, CEO of Progroup. “The new power plant will take us a significant step closer to achieving this goal.” The new, state-of-the-art building will thermally utilise waste materials that are produced in the paper factory and from the private and commercial recycling process in the region – and produce enough energy to cater for the needs of around 50,000 family homes. The power plant will thus provide all the steam that the site needs as well as a third of its electricity requirement. “This really is clean energy in the truest sense of the word”, says Heindl. This is because firstly Progroup will save around 80,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. And secondly the power plant will meet the high emissions protection standards.
With this new building, Progroup is consistently adding the next component of its sustainability strategy at the site. Since August 2020, the site has been home to the PM3 high-tech paper factory, which is one of the most modern and efficient anywhere in the world. An integrated circulating water treatment plant reduces the amount of fresh water that is used by 80 per cent compared to conventional plants. During the water treatment process, recovered paper impurities are biologically degraded and converted into biogas. This alone means that the factory already consumes ten per cent fewer fossil resources.
“As a family company, we have an obligation to the generations to come. This is why with our papers and corrugated board sheets we not only manufacture eco-friendly, recyclable products, but in their production – including generating energy – we employ efficient solutions that conserve resources,” says Heindl. Construction work on the new waste-to-energy plant in Sandersdorf-Brehna began in March. It is set to start operating at the end of 2025. It will be the company's second power plant. Progroup has already successfully been embracing the zero-waste concept – paper machine with an affiliated power plant – at its site in Eisenhüttenstadt. Progroup is now once again setting the benchmark when it comes to sustainability and demonstrating how a perfect circular economy can work.
About Progroup
Progroup AG, located in Landau, Germany, is one of the leading manufacturers of containerboard and corrugated board in Europe. Since it was founded in 1991 in Offenbach/Queich, the company has been pursuing a consistent growth strategy which, in addition to technological leadership, is also based on the use of innovative and environmentally friendly production technologies. Progroup operates production sites in six countries in Central Europe. These currently include three paper factories, twelve corrugated sheetfeeder plants, a logistics company and a waste-to-energy plant. The second power plant is now being constructed in Sandersdorf-Brehna. With 1,554 employees, the company generated sales of around 1.3 billion euros in 2021.
Press contact
Dana Walter, Corporate Communications
E-mail: dana.walter@progroup.ag
Mobile: +49 1751690381
