Biomass instead of coal: Koehler Group christens its decarbonized combined heat and power plant

After two intensive years of construction, Koehler Group christened its converted combined heat and power plant with a ceremony at company headquarters in Oberkirch, Germany. The conversion of the power plant is a pioneering project in the industry and marks a milestone on the road toward sustainable energy production for the family company. Instead of fossil fuels, the plant burns climate-friendly biomass to supply the Oberkirch site with energy for paper production. A total investment of over 70 million euros was needed for the mammoth project.

Benchmark for the future of paper production

Numerous project partners and political representatives were present at the christening ceremony. In his opening statement, Kai Furler, CEO of the Koehler Group, stressed the importance of the project for the family company and for future generations at Koehler. "The conversion of the plant is a clear sign of our commitment to protecting the climate and our support for Germany's energy transition. We are proud of the fact that we will reduce our fossil CO₂ emissions by 150,000 metric tons per year, while simultaneously ensuring sustainable production through the supply of green energy. This lays the foundation for our continued success in the market in the medium to long term.

Challenging construction project involving up to 30 different trades at a time

The conversion of the combined heat and power plant involved more than technical conversion to biomass. It also required the extensive modernization of plant technology and infrastructure to ensure maximum efficiency and the highest environmental standards. At the highpoint of the work, up to 320 external specialists representing over 30 trades worked at the plant on the massive construction project. The plant ran in trial operation until official approval was granted by the Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV). Fine-tuning adjustments were continuously made during this phase.

According to Josef Hofer, project manager of the conversion, the many challenges faced included communication with the approval authorities and the municipality of Oberkirch, as well as collaboration with architects, civil engineers and many other trades. A significant share of the construction work and the installation of the fuel supply equipment, as well as the infrastructure measures required, had to be implemented while the power plant was operating in order to keep the plant standstill phase as short as possible.