Covestro and EnBW sign long-term purchase agreement for solar power

● First power purchase agreement for Germany's largest solar power plant "Weesow-Willmersdorf"

● Purchase of 63 MW of electricity from 2022 for 15 years

● Renewable energy to power the production of more sustainable plastics

Materials manufacturer Covestro and energy supplier EnBW have signed a long-term corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) for solar power generation
.
Under the agreement, Covestro received 63 megawatts (MW) of power from EnBW's 187 MW "Weesow-Willmersdorf" solar power plant in Brandenburg, Germany
.
The solar array operated by EnBW is the largest of its kind in Germany and is implemented without any subsidies under the German Renewable Energy Act
.
The agreement with Covestro is the first power purchase agreement for the project
.
From the beginning of 2022, solar power will be deployed at Covestro's Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen plants in Germany for 15 years
.
The company will use renewable energy there, mainly to produce more sustainable, mass-balanced plastics
.
These plastics are produced in so-called processes using alternative raw materials
.
These products include mass-balanced polycarbonate and mass-balanced thermoplastic polyurethane
.

Converting its energy supply to renewable energy is a central pillar of Covestro's corporate strategy
.
The company is fully aligning itself with the circular economy, aiming to make its production climate neutral in the long term
.
Dr.
Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer of Covestro, said: "By sourcing solar power from EnBW's power stations, we underline our ambition to play a pioneering role on the road to a climate-neutral future, and once again signal the expansion of renewable energy in Germany.
Renewable energy signal
.
Climate neutral transition of the industry requires large quantities of renewable energy at internationally competitive prices
.
”

EnBW's solar power plant near Berlin has 465,000 solar panels, which have been fully connected to the grid since March 2021
.
“We have long worked on the principle that renewables can hold their own in the market
without subsidies.
Power purchase agreements are an important tool in making subsidy-free generation assets commercially viable
.
They are also an energy transition key, as they help industrial consumers achieve their climate goals quickly and efficiently
.
This makes PPAs particularly attractive for companies with energy-intensive production.

Dr.
Georg Stamatelopoulos, Chief Operating Officer, Power Generation and Trade, EnBW explained: “We It is a pleasure to support Covestro's production with our solar power
.
"

Green energy leads to more sustainable plastics

According to Dr.
Klaus Schäfer, CTO of Covestro, the company intends to produce high-performance plastics of the mass-balanced ISCC Plus certified Makrolon® RE and Desmopan® product lines at its plants in Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen, mainly using EnBW’s solar energy.

.
Dr.
Klaus Schäfer added: "This allows us to further increase the sustainability of our production process and help our customers reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining the same quality
.
"

The group has been able to produce selected grades of Makrolon® RE polycarbonate that are climate neutral from cradle to factory gate
.
Covestro also produces Desmopan® thermoplastic polyurethane with a lower carbon footprint
.
Polycarbonate is used in electronics and car headlights, among other things
.
Thermoplastic polyurethanes are used, for example, in household products, ski boots and industrial applications
.

A key factor in being able to produce more sustainable plastics is the use of renewable energy
.
Covestro is a pioneer in converting its energy supply to renewable energy
.
A combination of various power purchase agreements have been established in Germany, Belgium and China since 2019
.
The agreement with EnBW is the first power purchase agreement for solar power in Europe
.

Pioneers of Power Purchase Agreements

EnBW is one of the pioneers of long-term power purchase agreements in Germany, having recently signed a corporate power purchase agreement for 85 MW with Fraport, the operating company of Fraport
.
In 2022 it plans to further strengthen its marketing campaign for renewable energy - the "Weesow-Willmersdorf" solar power station and two other large subsidy-free projects "Gottesgabe" and "Alttrebbin"
.
The two 150 MW PV installations are currently under construction and are scheduled to be commissioned in spring 2022
.