100% Electricity From Hydropower at German Sites

Switching to 100 % electricity from renewable sources by 2030 - this is one of Sartorius' sustainability goals while the company continues to grow. Already today, the German sites are supplied with emission-free electricity from hydropower on the Danube River.

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Sartorius recently expanded its climate strategy and targets by defining the long-term goal of complete decarbonization along the value chain by 2045 together with customers and suppliers. One of the sub-goals: Switching to 100 percent electricity from renewable sources by 2030 at the company's more than 60 locations worldwide.
 

Highest Energy Consumption in the Group: Sartorius Headquarters in Göttingen

The Sartorius headquarters in Göttingen consumes the most energy within the Group. With its more than 4,000 employees, production facilities and offices, the campus accounts for about half of the total energy usage.

This also means that the site represents an important lever, because a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the energy purchased in Göttingen has a direct and significant effect on the overall target.

As a first step, the facility management and purchasing teams set out several years ago to convert the electrical energy on campus to sustainable sources.
 

Hydroelectric Power – A Proven Solution

Switching a production facility's power supply to climate-friendly electricity poses an immediate challenge: The supply must be constant and uninterrupted. In other words, it needs an emissions-free source of electrical energy that can provide the basic supply continuously, regardless, for example, of the weather. 

"In our search for a reliable partner, our eyes quickly turned to southern Germany, and in particular to the Danube," explains Michael von Darsen, Head of Facility Management. In addition to its importance as a trade route, Europe's second longest river is also considered an important supplier of green energy. Not only do Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains get their electricity from the Danube's hydroelectric power plants; but Sartorius has also been receiving green energy from the Danube since 2021.

"At the Göttingen site alone, the demand for electricity has risen sharply in recent years due to the company's dynamic growth. In 2022, it was around 39 GWh - roughly equivalent to the annual demand of 13,000 single-family homes. And this demand is almost entirely met by emission-free hydroelectric power," adds Albert Conradi, Manager of Facility Management Projects .

Only peak demand is met by natural gas. In addition, recently commissioned solar panels on the roofs provide additional energy.

"But the campus is not the only location - all German production sites, from Ulm to Freiburg, Jena and Guxhagen, purchase emission-free electricity from the Danube," says Albert.