Since the 1990s, the Zschimmer & Schwarz Group, a global supplier of chemical auxiliaries and specialties has been using the waste heat generated during alkoxylation to supply energy at its headquarters in Lahnstein, Germany. Alkoxylation is a key process in the production of surfactants, which are used for example in laundry detergents, shampoos or industrial cleaning agents. The heat generated in this production process is used to maintain the temperature of a hot water storage tank. This storage tank supplies heat to various consumption points. 

Heating the high-bay warehouse in this way saves around 485 MWh of energy annually – equivalent to the annual consumption of over 25 single-family homes. Using process heat in this way avoids around 88 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. Another positive effect is that less heated cooling water is discharged into the Rhine, thereby further reducing the environmental impact.

A project is currently underway to modernize and expand heat recovery in order to utilize waste heat from other processes in the future and connect additional consumption points at the site. The goal is to further increase the energy efficiency of the entire site and increase savings fivefold to around 2,500 MWh. This investment is supported with substantial funding from the Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) and is also represents a major success for the Z&S project management team.

“The use of our process waste heat is an excellent example of how technological expertise and sustainability go hand in hand at Zschimmer & Schwarz. This not only allows us to contribute to climate protection, but also to reduce our operating costs in the long term,” says Wolfgang Böhm, Managing Director Operations at Zschimmer & Schwarz.

For over three decades, heat recovery has made an important contribution to the company's sustainability and energy goals. The efficient use of resources and the continuous development of the systems are lived practice at Zschimmer & Schwarz, ensuring sustainable production.