At the presentation of the award from left Thomas Nieborowsky, CEO KUMAS e.V., Andreas Müller, CEO Alois Müller Group and Dr. Joachim Knüpfer, 1st Chairman KUMAS e.V.
Award: “KUMAS Leitprojekt 2020” for “Green Factory | The CO2-neutral Factory” of the Alois Müller Group
Sustainable and energy flexible concept convinces the jury
Ungerhausen. Every year, the KUMAS – Competence Center for the Environment association honors three exemplary environmental projects. This year, the jury’s choice included the Green Factory of the Alois Müller Group. In the Green Factory, the entire production, manufacturing and administration is designed to be CO2-neutral. A convincing concept, agreed the KUMAS jurors.
“We are very pleased about this award, because innovative and active environmental protection is more important today than ever before. However, the changeover to resource- and cost-efficient production is less complicated than many people suspect,” explained Andreas Müller, CEO, at the award ceremony.
The background: industry and commerce are responsible for around 25 % of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. In order to achieve climate neutrality, these emissions can either be offset at additional cost through climate-neutral projects or measures can be taken at the site to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced as far as possible – ideally 100%. The Green Factory concept implemented in Ungerhausen, which includes the use of solar power, sophisticated demand side management (load control), sector coupling and an internal smart grid, is a perfect example of how a CO2-neutral production environment can be achieved in practice.
“Our Green Factory is unique in Germany so far – but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Quite the contrary: The Green Factory concept can be adapted to almost all companies in Germany,” explains Müller. Companies who are interested in finding out for themselves can visit the Green Factory. “If required, we also present all components with the necessary key figures,” Müller continues.
More than 250 people work on the premises in the production and administration areas. With the self-produced electricity in the Green Factory, the Alois Müller Group also operates its own electric filling station at the Ungerhausen site, which is also available to external vehicles. The Green Factory went into operation in summer 2019. Here, the Alois Müller Group manufactures ventilation ducts and supply components for plant construction, such as piping systems made of steel and stainless steel, energy centers in container design and energy module systems.