Technologies for energy-efficient and sustainable production processes

Technologies for sustainable and energy-efficient production are a growth market for Dürr. The mechanical and plant engineering company is focusing on_CO2-free paint shops and coating technology for battery production, for example.

The Dürr Group sees considerable growth potential in technologies for energy-efficient and sustainable production processes. The mechanical and plant engineering company recently completed the world's first_CO2-free paint shop for a German car manufacturer. The fossil-free plant is a blueprint for how the automotive industry can reduce the high energy requirements for painting and decarbonize production. Dürr won its first major order in battery production technology - another growth business with a sustainability focus - at the end of 2024. The Group is also involved in the development of hydrogen fuel cells. Internally, the company has set itself a new climate target as part of its sustainable automation strategy. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 30% by 2035.

Maximum energy efficiency is one of the main objectives of product development at Dürr. One innovation that fulfills this requirement par excellence is the EcoQPower energy management system. It links all energy flows in the painting process so that excess heat and cold can be used elsewhere for heating or cooling. In the CO2-free paint shop that Dürr recently built, EcoQPower uses software to control a combined heating and cooling system with heat pumps and water circuits. This means that 21% less energy is required to operate the plant. The second component of the CO2-free paint shop is the use of electricity instead of fossil fuels. Combustion technologies have been completely replaced by electrical alternatives. As the customer uses green electricity, there are no CO2 emissions.

Dr. Jochen Weyrauch, CEO of Dürr AG: "Our formula is: energy efficiency plus electrification plus green electricity equals CO2-free painting." That sounds simple, but it is not trivial: "At Dürr, highly specialized experts work every day on how to design the many individual processes in a paint shop in such a way that the end result is optimum efficiency and energy use." The Group CEO rates the need for sustainable paint shop technology highly: "We are in a modernization cycle. Many paint shops are getting on in years. When investing in replacements, customers are looking for both low energy consumption and maximum efficiency through automation."

As part of its sustainable automation strategy, Dürr also sees itself as a partner for the efficient manufacture of low-emission products. These include electric cars and wooden houses, for example, but also battery cells for storing wind and solar power. In the Lithium-Ion Battery business field, the company offers lines for coating electrode foils with anode and cathode material. The Group reached an important milestone here at the end of 2024, winning its first major order for the delivery of several coating lines. "The project gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our expertise on a large scale, having previously successfully implemented several smaller projects with battery manufacturers," says Dr. Jochen Weyrauch. The volume of the order placed by the Italian battery manufacturer FIB is in the high double-digit million euro range. The start of production is planned for next year.

The Dürr Group is also involved in environmentally friendly hydrogen technology. Group subsidiary Schenck Rotec from Darmstadt supplies balancing technology for complete fuel cell units and components such as compressor wheels. Both must be precisely balanced in order to keep vibrations to a minimum. Dr. Jochen Weyrauch: "As the world market leader in balancing technology, we are involved in future technologies such as the fuel cell at an early stage. Not only do we have a lot of specific experience, we also invested in a modern Green Technology Center at Schenck in Darmstadt at an early stage. There we offer optimal conditions for testing the products of tomorrow."

The Dürr Group is also looking far ahead when it comes to reducing its attributable greenhouse gas emissions. At the beginning of 2025, the company adopted a new climate strategy. It aims to reduce total emissions by a further 30% by 2035. This corresponds to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 1.8 million tons to 4.2 million tons; the interim target for 2030 is 5.8 million tons. With these targets, the Dürr Group is in line with the Paris 1.5-degree target.

Dürr has already significantly reduced its emissions in previous years. In the period from 2019 to 2024, to which the previous climate strategy referred, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 8 %. The majority of the emissions attributed to the company - the so-called Scope 3 emissions - are caused by the operation of the machines and systems sold to customers. Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are generated within the company itself and through the purchase of energy, are of secondary importance. Nevertheless, Dürr has done a lot to reduce them. For example, the company has invested in photovoltaic systems and switched completely to green electricity. As a result, Scope 1 and 2 emissions fell by 55%, even though new companies were acquired and sales increased. Scope 3 emissions are of paramount importance in the target to reduce overall emissions by 30% by 2035. They are also to be reduced by 30 %. Among other things, this assumes that customers will increasingly invest in new Dürr products with maximum energy efficiency and electric operation. The forecast also assumes an increasing share of green electricity in the electricity mix. (OM-3/25)