Two important environment-related objectives for the HARTMANN GROUP are to use the most environmentally safe forms of energy and to cut the specific energy requirements of our facilities and processes. Innovative concepts for energy use and a comprehensive energy monitoring system help us in this. We are currently using mainly electrical energy, heat from district heating networks and natural gas for our manufacturing processes and to produce heat. Wherever possible, we make use of regenerative energies.
2005 carbon dioxide report
At PAUL HARTMANN AG * only about one eighth of carbon dioxide emissions are accounted for directly by production
By keeping a regular record of the energy sources and quantities we use we are able to take stock of carbon dioxide emissions and thus to assess the indirect effects on the environment. As a first step, we have only included energy sources used by our production and not other aspects such as product and raw material transport.
As a result of PAUL HARTMANN AG’s activities some 52,000 tons of carbon dioxide are released every year at our German sites. Only about one eighth of this can be attributed directly to production (burning natural gas); electricity and district heat are produced and supplied by external energy providers. These values refer to the electricity mix available in Germany and the specific emissions quantities relevant to eco-friendly energies or energy sources such as district heat and natural gas. We do not use coal or petroleum which would cause greater CO2 emissions.
We are already collecting data for the entire HARTMANN GROUP and are intending to produce a Group-wide carbon dioxide report for the year 2007.
Load management
Modern load management helps us to optimize our energy procurement. It ensures that we purchase from the power grid a regular, value-for-money supply of energy that matches our actual energy consumption, assists us in avoiding unnecessary power peaks and, through automatic data logging, makes for effective energy controlling, the basis of eco-friendly use of energy. Other technical measures include, for example, daylight-dependent lighting control, high-performance reflectors for fluorescent tubes, automatic ventilation and room temperature adjustment, optimized use of compressed air and motor, pump and fan management. On the organizational side, in 2004, we introduced six-monthly data querying on site-specific consumption, energy providers and CO2 emissions.
We also conduct training courses on the subject of saving energy, aimed at involving staff in the topic and encouraging them to adopt a responsible approach to energy. The HARTMANN GROUP Intranet also provides extensive information on the subject of energy.
By keeping a consistent record of energy data in the HARTMANN GROUP we are also in a position to introduce comprehensive heat recovery measures. Wherever technically possible and economically viable we take advantage of this savings potential and are permanently drawing up new energy concepts. When designing compressed air systems and exhaust air filter facilities we integrate heat recovery facilities wherever technically possible. We also use exhaust air and waste heat from boiler houses, driers, block-type thermal power stations, paper machines and any hall areas with surplus energy.
Block-type thermal power station
Combined heat and power generation plant at IVF HARTMANN AG’s block-type thermal power station in Switzerland
One example of optimum energy use is the alliance between our Swiss company IVF HARTMANN AG and ARA Röti, a waste water treatment plant in Neuhausen regarding gas and heat supply. ARA has been supplying our site with biogas for some years now. This cooperation has now been strengthened through this gas and heat supply alliance. The biogas supplied is used to produce power and heat in IVF HARTMANN AG’s new block-type thermal power station. In return IVF HARTMANN AG provides ARA Röti with the necessary heat energy for heating its rooms and its slurry via a district heating pipeline. This means that the biogas can be used optimally and to full capacity throughout the year. ARA no longer has the kind of surplus heat volumes typical of sewage gas processing. Instead of burning off excess quantities of biogas as used to be the case, ARA now finds it worthwhile to insulate its building against heat loss, to save biogas and to sell it to IVF HARTMANN AG. With its new block-type thermal power station, IVF HARTMANN AG produces 45 percent of its annual process heat requirement – and is thus able to replace 330,000 litres of heating oil per annum. At the same time, the company is producing some 40 percent of its entire annual electrical energy requirement. This type of cooperation between ARA and an industrial company is a groundbreaking step towards optimum ecological energy use.
