Optimization of resource and energy efficiency

Active contribution to the protection of the environment

Within our system of energy and environmental management, one key approach at KHS is to constantly increase our efficient use of energy and resources at all of our production sites. Switching over to regenerative sources of energy is an important step towards reaching our climate and environmental targets.

We have implemented concrete measures that put KHS’ energy and environmental management policy into practice not just regarding the manufacture of our plant machinery in our production shops but also the entire production environment. For example, our offices, vehicle fleet and logistics setup harbor significant potential for improving our energy and resource efficiency.

The heating energy we need for our buildings is currently still being provided by fossil fuels – chiefly by natural gas but also on a smaller scale by heating oil. In order to safeguard its operations, KHS has decided to continue to use its oil heating systems to circumvent problems caused by a possible lack of gas as a result of the war in Ukraine. A project planned in 2020 aimed at initially converting an oil heating system over to natural gas will now be realized in 2023. 

The amount of energy needed for our production machines, lighting and air conditioning, our IT infrastructure and operating materials is considerable. Our projects designed to specifically optimize production greatly help to boost our energy and resource efficiency (see our table of key figures).

All of our technical innovations in the production environment have yielded substantial efficiency benefits over the course of the last few years. In 2021 and 2022 the lighting was converted to LED technology with each office refurbishment and in select projects. By installing new lights and intelligent lighting control our building technology system allows considerable savings to be made. The projects realized in the reporting period have enabled us to consume 432,000 kWh less electricity per annum.

As part of our commitment to climate protection, KHS in Germany has been using certified electricity from renewable sources since 2016. Thanks to our continuous use of certified green electricity, in 2021 and 2022 we were able to further cut the carbon equivalent emissions at our German production sites by a total of 10,788 metric tons. The planned installation of our first photovoltaic system at the production site in Dortmund by the MaGeno-Solar eG company founded by KHS employees underlines our mutual commitment to local climate protection, from which KHS GmbH profits as lessee.

Regarding the use of water in our operations – corporate water management – we endeavor to keep our site consumption of this precious resource as low as possible, especially during test runs on the lines and machines that require water, such as our pasteurizers and washing machines in Dortmund and our process engineering systems and filling machines in Bad Kreuznach – plus of course in all of our kitchens and sanitary facilities throughout the Group.