LANXESS AG (Cologne, Germany) and VERBUND, Austria’s leading energy company and one of Europe’s largest producers of hydroelectric power, have signed a contract for the supply of green electricity for the next three years. The agreement ensures a fully sustainable electricity supply with Bavarian hydropower for LANXESS’ German production sites in Bergkamen, Bitterfeld, Brunsbüttel, Mannheim and Wietmarschen.
VERBUND will supply LANXESS from 2026 to 2028 with a total of around 200,000 MWh of green electricity from existing hydroelectric power plants on the Inn River in Bavaria, Germany. Compared to the German electricity mix, this means around 60,000 tons less CO2. Thus, LANXESS is reducing its carbon footprint and that of its products from these sites—another step on the company’s path to becoming climate-neutral in production by 2040.
“Our production facilities operate 24/7, so we need electricity day and night. VERBUND’s hydropower plants can guarantee this. At the same time, they support us on our path to climate neutrality,” explains Alexander Sonnenberg, Head of Energy Procurement at LANXESS, the collaboration.
Andreas Lanz, Center Manager Industrial Customers at VERBUND Energy4Business, is delighted about the cooperation: “The growing demand for sustainable electricity is a clear trend and a prerequisite for greater climate protection, security of supply and reliability. With the VERBUND Climate Transition Plan, a clearly defined path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, we are pursuing a science-based reduction path and supporting industrial companies in reducing their carbon footprint and achieving their climate goals with our green electricity solutions.
VERBUND operates a total of 22 run-of-river power plants in Bavaria and on the Bavarian/Austrian border with an installed capacity of 1,040 MW and a generation of 5.9 TWh/a, of which 4.0 TWh/a is for Bavaria.
To strengthen Bavarian energy production, VERBUND has already implemented or is currently implementing projects worth around EUR 600 million. In addition, projects worth around EUR 1 billion are in the planning or approval stage.
When it comes to ecology, VERBUND also adheres to the highest ecological standards at its Bavarian hydropower plants. This includes comprehensive measures to protect aquatic ecology, such as ensuring fish passability, implementing comprehensive renaturation measures, preserving natural habitats, and continuously improving water quality. Around EUR 100 million have been earmarked for this in Bavaria and along the border until 2030, of which around EUR 30 million have already been implemented.
VERBUND is already one of the most sustainable energy producers in Europe and is pursuing ambitious goals. With planned investments of EUR 5.9 billion by 2027, VERBUND is planning to shape a sustainable energy future. Around EUR 400 million will be invested in ecological projects by 2030, with roughly EUR 200 million already implemented. In addition to species protection and fish migration, this requires the preservation of intact ecosystems, consideration of planetary boundaries, and adaptation to climate change. That is why VERBUND makes a significant contribution to the protection, preservation, and promotion of biodiversity and natural habitats as part of its business activities.
In addition to climate neutrality in production by 2040, LANXESS is pursuing the goal of making the entire upstream and downstream value chain climate neutral by 2050 (Scope 3), for example through products with a low carbon footprint. The renowned Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has confirmed that these targets are in line with the 1.5°C reduction path of the Paris Climate Agreement. Just recently, LANXESS was also included in the Climate A List by the CDP climate protection initiative for the seventh time in a row.