Dr Jan Redmann, chairman of the CDU group in the Brandenburg state parliament, was able to see how Progroup follows a consistent zero-waste system at its Eisenhüttenstadt site, when he visited the containerboard and corrugated board manufacturer recently.
The industrial zone on Oderlandstraße is home to the PM2 paper factory and the waste-2-energy power plant which is connected to it. This is where Progroup manufactures around 650,000 tonnes of containerboard every year – using resources very efficiently thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities. “We rely on innovative high-tech machines in all our plants so that we can manufacture products in an extremely eco-friendly and efficient way,” explains Maximilian Heindl, deputy CEO of Progroup.
The energy required for papermaking is supplied largely from the waste-2-energy power plant. It thermally utilises what are known as rejects – waste materials, in particular from paper production directly and also from industry – and then supplies PM2 with hot steam. It also produces electricity. The amount of electricity produced is equivalent to roughly 50 per cent of the power that PM2 requires. This allows Progroup to reduce the use of fossil fuels and save a lot of CO2. “The current energy situation once again demonstrates that we are on the right path with this zero-waste system,” says Heindl. “This is why we will consistently carry on embracing and developing it and adopt the concept at other sites as well.” For example, the family business already has plans to construct its next power plant.
“Progroup and the Eisenhüttenstadt site are a fine example of recycling. Companies with innovative, sustainable concepts like this are needed to tackle challenges like the energy and climate crises we face,” says Dr Redmann. “This is why we support energy-intensive companies, like Progroup, that are also working on advanced, strategically important hydrogen concepts for the future. The whole of our Brandenburg economic region will benefit from this.”