Solar Power on a Grand scale
Since 2023, our first plant has been largely self-sufficient in producing its own electricity. A massive new photovoltaic (PV) system now covers the entire daytime electricity demand at our Neuried site. But that's just one of the many green measures we've implemented there.
Not just being sustainable, but being doubly sustainable: This has always been part of GRAF's business model. After all, we not only recycle short-lived packaging, but also process it into long-lasting environmental products. However, our plant in Neuried am Rhein (Baden-Württemberg) could even be described as triply sustainable, thanks to a new photovoltaic system that makes the site less dependent on the energy market.
The figures for the system are impressive. With more than 3,000 solar modules spread over an area of 6,000 square metres, it is one of the largest in the region. By comparison, an average football pitch covers around 7000 square metres. With an output of more than 1200 kWp and a yield of around 1.2 million kilowatt-hours, the system covers more than 70% of the current electricity consumption at our plant, which opened in 2022. This not only avoids more than 500,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions but also saves a lot of electricity costs. The green electricity we produce will be used to manufacture our XXL tanks in future. In 2024, the site will be equipped with innovative battery technology making it energy self-sufficient.
Green Energy for Green Buildings
At our Neuried site, we are taking several additional green steps. A project to use electricity and gas from the neighboring biogas plant will also make a significant contribution to saving fossil fuels in future. The logistics and production buildings on the site have been extensively insulated, and some of the façades have been greened. Thanks to innovative machine technology, some of which was developed in-house, the Neuried plant requires 90% less energy compared to conventional technology. Heat is recovered throughout the plant, toilets and building cleaning use rainwater, and excess precipitation is completely infiltrated on-site.
Powerful Performance
The approximately 3,000 modules of the photovoltaic system provide more than 1,200 kWp. This means that our Neuried plant is well on the way to becoming energy self-sufficient. And more sites will follow - this year, in 2024, the PV system at our Teningen site is due to be expanded. This will be carried out in two stages: the flat roofs of the production and dispatch areas have already been fitted, and the façade of the production silos will be completed in the coming few weeks.