CropEnergies opts for climate-neutral energy solution for new production plant

The sustainable energy solution will thermally utilise not only biomass but also liquid and gaseous production residues and will supply CropEnergies' new production plant for renewable ethyl acetate, which is unique in Europe, with heat and electricity. It thus forms another important building block in CropEnergies' sustainability strategy. The project is being implemented under contracting, with GETEC investing over 50 million euros.

Dr Stephan Meeder, CEO of CropEnergies AG: "Producing sustainable, renewable products from biomass is the goal of CropEnergies. With the construction of the plant for renewable ethyl acetate in the Zeitz Chemical and Industrial Park, CropEnergies is taking the next step in the implementation of our strategy."

Hendrik Banse, Managing Director of CE Biobased Chemicals GmbH: "The first production plant of the new Biobased Chemicals business unit is an extremely important milestone for us. Renewable products for the chemical industry can be produced here with a very small CO₂ footprint. The climate-neutral energy supply by GETEC is an important part of this concept."

"We are delighted to implement this sustainable project for CropEnergies. GETEC can contribute its extensive experience and expertise in the field of waste-to-value and residue recycling to the project and thus form a further building block in CropEnergies' sustainability ambitions. With the GETEC solution, CropEnergies avoids CO₂ emissions of over 35,000 tonnes per year compared to a standard gas boiler," says Dr Thomas Stephanblome, CEO of GETEC Platform Germany.

The construction of the new ethyl acetate plant in Elsteraue is the first major step for CropEnergies in a new field of business: the production of sustainable biochemicals from renewable raw materials. The new production plant will be the first of its kind in Europe. It will produce 50,000 tonnes of renewable ethyl acetate per year from sustainable ethanol and with the use of renewable energy sources, which thus has a significantly smaller CO₂ footprint than conventional ethyl acetate produced on the basis of fossil raw materials. CropEnergies is thus contributing to the defossilization of basic chemicals used in numerous everyday products and is thus opening up new sales markets in the growing area of renewable products for the chemical industry.

Thanks to a convincing holistic solution approach and GETEC's local presence in the Zeitz Chemical and Industrial Park with existing customers Radici, Infra-Zeitz and Puralube, and its experience in implementing the waste-to-value biomass plant in Podari, GETEC was able to win the tender for supplying energy to the new production site.

The new energy solution consists of a biomass boiler system with additional steam generators that thermally utilise the customer's liquid and gaseous production residues. A steam turbine generates the electrical energy required in the new plant. Supplying the production process with compressed air and nitrogen completes the holistic supply approach. Commissioning is planned for the end of 2025. As part of the project development, GETEC has also applied for funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection as an investment cost subsidy.