Funding project: Sustainable modernization of steam generation in Bad Münstereifel
We continuously invest in the further development and modernization of our production sites. As part of a funding project under the Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), we will implement by the end of 2028 what will be our largest sustainability-oriented project at the site to date: the electrification of our steam generation at the headquarters in Bad Münstereifel, DE.
Steam is one of the most important energy carriers in the chemical industry and is required for a wide range of production and process steps. So far, process steam is mostly generated via steam boilers using fossil raw materials. At our site as well, steam generation accounts for a significant share of total energy consumption, providing an important lever to reduce CO2 emissions in production.
Our project concept for meeting process-steam demand using volatile PV-generated electricity, which we submitted to last year’s BIK funding competition launched by the BMWE , has been approved and is currently in detailed technical planning.
The recent steam boiler operated with natural gas will be replaced by a combination of an electrical high-performance superheater and a thermal high-temperature energy storage system as well as a downstream steam generator. The major share of electricity used is intended to come from an adjacent PV plant. With the planned configuration of the new system, it will be possible to decouple energy consumption and steam production by using the stored thermal energy. This allows electricity procurement to be matched to the fluctuating availability of renewable energy sources and can help avoid overloads in the power grid while supporting stable grid frequency.
In addition to the advantages the system brings for a future energy system characterized by a volatile energy supply, it will also make a significant contribution to decarbonizing our production site: with the switch in steam generation from gas operation to green electricity, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 78 %.
Project details
Project: PV-Power2Process-Steam – Demand-Based Process Steam Generation from Volatile PV Electricity
Runtime: January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028
Funding volume: €6,059,696
