On his visit to Progroup in Sandersdorf-Brehna, Minister for Economic Affairs. Sven Schulze. gained his own personal impression of the state-of-the-art PM3 paper mill and chatted to the deputy CEO, Maximilian Heindl, about the company’s plans for a new CHP plant at the site. One of the most important items on the agenda was the current energy situation.
Left to right: Minister of Economics Sven Schulze, Maximilian Heindl, Deputy CEO, and Phillipos Vrizas, Site Manager.
“The current situation is a dramatic reminder of how much we still rely on fossil fuels in Germany. Progroup are continuously reducing this level of dependence,” says Heindl.
Progroup already uses a circulating water treatment plant to obtain biogas, which covers 10% of the energy demand there. The company has also invested more than €100m in state-of-the-art technologies to deliver production that conserves resources as much as possible. To further improve the life-cycle assessment, at the end of the year the manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated sheets is planning to start constructing a new CHP plant in Sandersdorf-Brehna. It will supply power and heat to the paper factory from the end of 2025. This could also benefit local households, which could be supplied with eco-friendly district heat. Sandersdorf-Brehna will become Progroup’s second CHP plant after the plant in Eisenhüttenstadt.
“Saxony-Anhalt’s paper industry is the number one in Europe,” said Schulze. “Progroup’s site in Sandersdorf-Brehna is one of the industry’s shining lights. In recent years, the company has invested in state-of-the-art production technologies with funding from the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The construction of the new power plant is another step towards securing an independent energy supply that conserves resources. Saxony-Anhalt as a place to do business also benefits from pioneering projects like these.”
