Covestro and RWE Forge Long-Term Pact for Green Energy Supply

Covestro and RWE Forge Long-Term Pact for Green Energy Supply

(IN BRIEF) Covestro and RWE have inked a substantial long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) aimed at bolstering Covestro’s Antwerp production site in Belgium with renewable energy from offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. This collaboration, spanning from 2026 to 2030, is set to elevate Covestro’s renewable energy usage from 45% to 60% of its current power needs, securing a green energy supply until 2030 and curbing CO2 emissions by an estimated 103,000 tons. The deal marks a significant stride towards Covestro’s climate-neutral production target by 2035, aligning with its commitment to a circular economy and sustainability.

(PRESS RELEASE) LEVERKUSEN, 21-Feb-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Covestro and RWE have signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the supply of power and guarantees of origin from offshore wind turbines in the North Sea for the Covestro production site in Antwerp, Belgium. The contract runs from 2026 to 2030 and will enable Covestro to increase the share of renewable energy from the current 45 percent to 60 percent of the site’s current power needs and secure the supply of green energy until 2030, saving 103,000 tons of CO2.

“The new contract shows: We are making consistent progress on our path to climate-neutral production – even in economically challenging times,” says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro. “Because we are convinced that our vision of a complete focus on the circular economy and climate neutrality is the only way to ensure the long-term success of our company.”

Ulf Kerstin, CCO of RWE Supply Trading, says: “We are delighted to support Covestro in achieving its ambitious sustainability goals and to be able to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral production. The great interest of our customers in green power underlines the importance of CO2-free power for the manufacturing industry.”

The new PPA with RWE replaces a current agreement, which expires at the end of 2025. At the Antwerp site, Covestro produces the high-performance plastic polycarbonate, which is used in car headlights, electrical and electronic components, LED lights, medical technology and many other applications. Polyether and the important industrial chemical aniline are also produced there, and Covestro is currently expanding production there with the construction of a new world-scale plant.

“This supply agreement is a further step towards increasing the proportion of renewable power in our production,” says Dr. Georg Wagner, Managing Director of Covestro in Antwerp. “With this and the use of sustainable raw materials and innovative recycling technologies, our production site is on the way to a climate-neutral and fully circular future. We are delighted to have found a partner in RWE with whom we can reach the next level.”

Covestro aims to achieve climate-neutral production by 2035 and has already concluded several electricity supply contracts worldwide. Since 2023, the site in Shanghai has been supplied with 45% of its electricity from solar and wind power, and in the USA, Covestro has concluded a virtual power purchase agreement with the company Ørsted for 200 gigawatt hours of solar power, which corresponds to twelve percent of the electricity requirements at the Baytown site.

By 2025, ten percent of the electricity at the company’s sites in Germany is also to come from renewable energy sources. In this way, Covestro aims to achieve the interim target of reducing greenhouse gases from production by 60% by 2030. At the end of 2023, Covestro covered about 16% of its global electricity needs from renewable sources.

About RWE Supply & Trading GmbH:

RWE Supply & Trading is the interface between RWE and the energy markets around the world. Approximately 2,000 employees from over 70 different countries trade electricity, gas, commodities, and CO2 emission allowances. Accurate market analyses and a high degree of customer centricity enable them to create innovative energy supply solutions as well as risk management concepts for industrial operations. The trading entity also ensures the commercial optimisation of RWE’s power plant dispatch and markets electricity from RWE. In addition, there is the legally independent RWE gas storage business in Germany under the umbrella of RWE Supply & Trading.

About Covestro:

Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, cosmetics and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.

The company is committed to becoming fully circular and is striving to become climate neutral by 2035 (scope 1 and 2). Covestro generated sales of EUR 18 billion in fiscal 2022. At the end of 2022, the company had 50 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 18,000 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Media Contacts:

Przemyslaw Jedrysik
Head of Communications Europe
mailto:przemyslaw.jedrysik@covestro.com
+49 214 6009 7861
+49 162 38 6021

Lars Boelke
Global Head of Media Relations
mailto:lars.boelke@covestro.com
+49 214 6009 4206
+49 1522 8860494

Regina Wolter
Contact RWE
mailto:regina.wolter@rwe.com
+49 201 5179 5024

SOURCE: Covestro AG