PPAs cover around a quarter of SCHOTT's electricity consumption in Germany

Monday, January 22, 2024, Mainz, Germany

  • New Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Statkraft Markets GmbH runs for three years
  • Four wind turbines at Nichel wind farm in Brandenburg supply more than 125,000 MWh
  • A total of six such power purchase agreements support SCHOTT's goal of carbon-neutral production by 2030
The technology group SCHOTT is securing its energy needs from renewable energy sources with long-term electricity contracts. A new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Statkraft, Europe's largest producer of renewable energy, began this January and runs through the end of 2026. This means that for a period of three years, Statkraft will supply almost 42,000 MWh per year – thus a total of around 125,000 MWh – through the PPA "Windpark Nichel," which boasts four wind turbines of 4.2 MW each (= 16.8 MW) in Brandenburg. This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 15,000 households. "Since the end of 2021, we have already switched our global electricity procurement to 100% green electricity," explains Thomas Hahn, Global Category Manager Energy in Purchasing at SCHOTT. "The new contract with Statkraft is the sixth of its kind. Last year, we also signed a PPA with CleanMax for a solar-wind hybrid project in India”. The aim is to procure as much electricity as possible through PPAs as a good instrument for the energy transition.
Green meadow with wind turbines and a sheep against a blue sky.
The technology group SCHOTT covers part of its green power needs with another power supply contract. From the beginning of this year until the end of 2026, Statkraft will supply around 125,000 MWh from the Nichel wind farm 75 kilometers southwest of Berlin. Photo: Statkraft
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In Germany, SCHOTT will cover a total of 25% of its electricity requirements through PPAs by 2024. The locations of the plants – five wind farms and one solar farm – are spread across Germany and are supplied by renowned providers such as Statkraft, Engie, and RWE. SCHOTT places great importance on the quality of its power supply contracts. The existing PPAs are, therefore, certified with the EKOenergy label. This proves that the purchased green electricity meets specific sustainability criteria, and finances projects to combat energy poverty.

By exclusively using green electricity, SCHOTT has already achieved one of its partial goals on the way to carbon-neutral production by 2030. Another important field of action is the technological change in the operation of energy-intensive melting tanks: Climate-damaging fossil fuels are to be replaced by electricity from renewable energies and green hydrogen in order to heat energy-intensive glass furnaces. Corresponding tests have  been successfully carried out; the next step will be to test the new technologies in production.

Last year, SCHOTT's commitment to climate protection was honored with the German Sustainability Award, in addition to receiving the EcoVadis Gold Rating. SCHOTT also bases its climate targets on the latest climate research and has joined the global Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). The initiative is considered the gold standard for scientific climate targets and decarbonization.

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Pioneering. Responsibly. Together.

These attributes characterize SCHOTT as a manufacturer of high-tech materials based on specialty glass. Founder Otto Schott is considered its inventor and became the pioneer of an entire industry. Always opening up new markets and applications with a pioneering spirit and passion – this is what has driven the #glasslovers at SCHOTT for almost 140 years. Represented in over 30 countries, the company is a highly skilled partner for high-tech industries: Healthcare, Home Appliances & Living, Consumer Electronics, Semiconductors & Datacom, Optics, Industry & Energy, Automotive, Astronomy & Aerospace. In the fiscal year 2022, its 17,200 employees generated sales of 2.8 billion euros. SCHOTT AG is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the oldest foundations in Germany. It uses the Group's dividends to promote science. As a foundation company, SCHOTT has anchored responsibility for employees, society and the environment deeply in its DNA. The goal is to become a climate-neutral company by 2030.

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Christine Fuhr, Communications Manager
Christine Fuhr

Communications Manager