Highlight: Our own Combined Heat and Power Plant: Annual Savings of approx. 2,700 tonnes of CO2
On 30th June 2016, our own internal VOIT Automotive cogeneration plant went onto the grid with the objective of producing most of the annual energy requirements ourselves. The energy generated is used 100% to cover our own energy consumption requirements and is available in the form of electricity and heat. The approximately 13.5 GWh of electrical energy generated represents an annual electricity consumption of approximately 3,300 four-person households. With savings of approximately 2,700 tonnes of CO2 per year, the plant makes a contribution to the company’s own power supply in a sustainable and resource conserving manner. As well as realising the company’s own objectives, VOIT is therefore also making a contribution to reducing the environmental impact on the biosphere nature reserve in the Bliesgau region and ultimately also making a contribution to the fundamental change in energy politics. The construction of the 5.5 million-euro cogeneration plant is a milestone within the broad scope of the energy management concept whereby the objective is to reduce the overall energy consumption/emissions by 20% by 2020, taking the year 2012 as the starting point and by implementing numerous measures.
The VOIT cogeneration plant operates using natural gas and, contrary to many other cogeneration plants, works according to the principle of combining heat, cold and power. This system offers the possibility to generate electricity and heat with a high overall degree of efficiency. The useful heat thus generated is used to heat industrial washing baths for cleaning components as well as for heating the halls and for hot water. The useful heat can also be used to generate cooling energy using an absorption system e.g. for industrial cooling processes. The electricity we produce ourselves is fed into the company grid and is then available for various uses.