In the future, Covestro will supply almost half of its electricity needs in Belgium from wind energy. The company concluded a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ENGIE, the largest renewable energy producer in the country. As of April 1, 2021, the energy provider plans to cover around 45 percent of Covestro's electricity needs in Antwerp from 15 wind turbines in four newly built onshore wind farms that are part of the partnership with the Conquest Group.
The new contract, called a corporate PPA, covers 39 megawatts of capacity. This corresponds to the energy supply of around 30,000 households and reduces the ecological footprint of Covestro in Belgium by more than 38,500 tons of CO2, which corresponds to the emissions of 20,000 cars per year.
More energy-efficient production
Production in the chemical industry is traditionally energy intensive. Covestro sees this as an incentive to take responsibility and minimize both the energy demand and the CO2 emissions of production plants and processes. With various innovative process technologies and a licensed energy management system, Covestro has already significantly increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions from production. The company has set itself the goal of halving its specific carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 compared to 2005. In addition, and in line with its new vision, Covestro intends to draw the majority of the remaining energy from wind power.
"The new supply contract is a milestone in the conversion of our production to the use of renewable energies," says Georg Wagner, Managing Director at Covestro in Antwerp. "Wind energy, together with the use of sustainable raw materials and innovative recycling technologies, are important steps towards realizing our vision of becoming fully circular and achieving the climate goals of the European Green Deal. We are pleased to have found a partner with ENGIE for this next step, with whom we support our customers and the corresponding value chains in producing more sustainably."
Largest renewable energy supplier in Belgium
Vincent Verbeke, Head of ENGIE Global Energy Management in Belgium: "As the largest renewable energy producer in Belgium, ENGIE is committed to accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral world by helping its customers achieve their sustainability goals. We are proud to help Covestro achieve its environmental goals and facilitate the consumption of onshore wind energy. This agreement also underlines ENGIE's ambition to promote the development of renewable energy in Belgium."
Covestro has already concluded a wholesale supply agreement with the energy supplier Ørsted, which is expected to cover a substantial part of the electricity requirements of its German sites for a longer period from 2025. With the current agreement with ENGIE, Antwerp will be the first Covestro production site, almost half of which will be powered by wind energy.
At its Antwerp site, Covestro produces the high-performance polycarbonate plastic used in car headlights, electrical and electronic components, LED lights, medical technology and many other applications. In addition, polyethers and the important industrial chemical aniline are produced there. This is finally processed to diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), a raw material for rigid polyurethane foam, which has proven to be an efficient insulating material for buildings and in the cooling chain.
About ENGIE
The ENGIE Group is a world leader in the area of low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 170,000 employees, our customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerating the transition to a CO2-neutral world by reducing energy consumption and offering more environmentally friendly solutions. Inspired by our corporate purpose ("raison d'être"), we balance economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet by building on our core business areas (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer our customers competitive solutions.
Our turnover in 2020 was 55.8 billion euros. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo Eiris - World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120, France 20, CAC 40 Governance).
engie.com
About Covestro AG
With a turnover of 10.7 billion euros in 2020, Covestro is one of the world's leading polymer companies. The company focuses on the production of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products that are used in many areas of daily life. Covestro is fully oriented towards the circular economy. The main customers are the automotive and transport industry, the construction industry, the furniture and wood processing industry as well as the electrical, electronic and household appliance industries. In addition, there are sectors such as sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. As of the end of 2020, Covestro operates in 33 locations worldwide and employs around 16,500 people (converted to full-time positions).
Press contact:
Covestro
Ann De Bie
ann.debie@covestro.com
+33 6 66 58 81 92