unnecessary consumption is identified. Optimized manufacturing
processes can also contribute to energy efficiency. With
the ALTANA Excellence Program, such adjustments are
systematically developed and implemented. The Group also
achieved improvements in the area of heating / cooling
systems and ventilation systems. At ACTEGA in France, for
example, reversible air conditioning systems were installed
in offices and meeting rooms. They are able to absorb heat
from a room and feed it into the company’s own heating
system. In addition, they can also cool rooms accordingly. The
installation of a new thermal oil heating system at the
ELANTAS site in Ascoli reduced energy consumption by 8 %.
At the same site, the cooling system was renewed, achiev-
ing further energy savings. And the ELANTAS sites in Quattordio
(Italy) and St. Louis (U.S.) also started to optimize their cool-
ing systems and steam generators.
Another important contribution is made by converting
the existing lighting systems to more energy-efficient alternatives
such as LEDs. To this end, projects were carried out at
various sites of the four divisions. At BYK-Gardner in Geretsried
alone, around 140 MWh per year can be saved in this way.
In addition, the divisions pay attention to high energy efficiency
when purchasing new machines and equipment. For example,
the replacement of three existing motors with motors
of the highest efficiency class IE4 at ECKART’s Hartenstein
and Wackersdorf sites has led to a reduction of more than
50 MWh per year. This concept is also applied at other sites.
For the aftertreatment of emissions in production processes,
plants for thermal afterburning using natural gas are
operated at various sites. At its site in Ascoli, ELANTAS further
optimized its thermal afterburning system and reduced
natural gas consumption by 15 % in relation to the volume
of produced finished goods. BYK installed a natural gas-free
alternative for waste gas treatment in the form of a gas
scrubber in Wesel.
For ALTANA, doing without fossil fuels is an important
pillar on the way to climate neutrality. With the participation
96 Environment
already included in the total number of production sites. Ten
sites also have energy management certification in accordance
with ISO 50001.
On Course for Climate Neutrality by 2025
ALTANA plans to reduce its CO² impact in production and
energy procurement to zero worldwide by 2025. The climate
neutrality encompasses the company’s own production,
administration, and research. Included are CO² emissions
resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, primarily
natural gas (Scope 1), as well as indirect CO² emissions
from energy consumption, mainly in the form of electricity
(Scope 2). The climate neutrality to be achieved by 2025
also includes the CO² emissions resulting from necessary business
trips, company cars, and goods transport (Scope 3).
This means that for the areas mentioned, CO² emissions in-
to the environment will be avoided or compensated for
through suitable measures. As a result, ALTANA is contributing
to the climate target of limiting global warming to
1.5 °C that was set at the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change in Paris in 2015 and confirmed in
Glasgow in 2021.
In the year under review, ALTANA consistently pursued
its climate protection goals and continued to drive forward
the energy transformation. All sites contributed to this.
To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, facilities
and machines were identified that can be temporarily switched
off or run in a reduced operating state without impairing
operational processes and safety. Examples include ventilation
systems and lighting systems, as well as heating chambers.
In total, energy savings of 52 MWh per year can be realized.
ECKART decommissioned a cooling tower at its Hartenstein
site, a move which saves more than 15 MWh per year. State-
of-the-art energy monitoring and energy management systems,
for example at ECKART’s Zhuhai site, ensure that such