For us, business and the environment are inextricably linked. As an independent, crisis-stable medium-sized company, we stand for healthy and sustainable growth. For us, this means acting in a socially and ecologically responsible manner.
The conscientious use of resources and responsibility towards future generations are central components of our philosophy. For this reason, we rely on a certified environmental and energy management system and an environmentally friendly supply chain. In addition, our research and development department is constantly working on innovative solutions that reduce the burden on the environment and improve our customers' processes.
Diagram: our path to climate neutrality
Zeller+Gmelin is comprehensively certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, environmental management DIN ISO 14001:2015 and energy management DIN ISO 50001:2018.
Conserve resources + protect climate
Our ambitious goal: climate neutrality.
Zeller+Gmelin has been working successfully for years to reduce its ecological footprint and, since January 2020, has been the first chemical company in Baden-Württemberg to be allowed to call itself a "climate-neutral site". In an extensive project, Zeller+Gmelin and its subsidiaries Südöl and Fluidmanagement determined thecarbon footprint at the Eislingen site. The principle of the Kyoto Protocol triad (1997/2005) was applied:
For environmental reporting, Zeller+Gmelin follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a widely used standard for environmental reporting. According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the company's own emissions are divided into three areas, as shown in the following graphic.
Scope 1 (direct emissions from controlled sources): Consumption of natural gas, propane, heating oil and waste incineration.
Scope 2 (indirect emissions from the purchase of energy): Electricity, district heating
Scope 3 (indirect emissions from the supply chain): Business travel (airplanes and cars), hotel stays, employee commutes, waste generation / wastewater in the company, consumables production and office.
Measures
Thanks to numerous energy-saving projects, optimization measures and technical measures implemented in the course of certification in accordance with the globally applicable energy standard DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, theCO2 value was significantly reduced.
Utilization of waste heat
With energy optimization through the use of heat pumps, residual heat can be better utilized.
- Warming of the raw materials
- Heating of domestic water
- Heating energy, e.g. for air conditioning the production halls
- Cooling energy e.g. for cooling raw materials
Renewal of the cooling water system
An important component was the modernization of the entire cooling water system. The new plant operates very energy-efficiently with a high degree of efficiency!
- Fluctuations in flow temperatures have been significantly reduced
- Increasing the recooling capacity of the cooling water
- Better use of energy from the returning condensate and cooling water
Investment in photovoltaic systems
We want to increase our own generation from renewable energies. For this reason, we are making increasing use of photovoltaic systems.
For example, passenger elevators are powered by photovoltaics, which generate electricity again when they descend, which in turn is fed back into the grid.
Use of green electricity
To further implementCO2 neutrality, we only use green electricity. In 2020, we started to expand the purchase of electricity from renewable sources with corresponding certificates of origin.
Further measures
- Insulation of piping and equipment
- Modernization of the compressor plant
- Use of more energy-efficient transformers
- All new buildings are planned under climate neutrality aspects
Compensation
The remainingCO2 values were offset by means of climate certificates. The aim is to reduce these step by step.
Transitionally, however, they are necessary to offset unavoidableCO2 emissions. Zeller+Gmelin therefore supports sustainable climate protection projects in developing and emerging countries. Our projects are non-profit organizations with a gold standard, including in countries in which we are very active with subsidiaries. We specifically support biomass and wind power projects in Turkey, India and China.
