Transformation plan for a recycling facility

The project involves the development of a transformation plan for a climate-neutral energy supply at the HDB Recycling site in Hünxe (Bucholtwelmen industrial park). The plan is being developed in accordance with the funding guidelines of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) titled “Federal Funding for Energy and Resource Efficiency in the Economy (EEW)” (Module 5 – Transformation Plans).

The goal is to develop a comprehensive transformation roadmap consisting of various measures that will lead the site to greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. An interim target is a reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by at least 40 percent within ten years. The development focuses on the following questions:

• How can a recycling company with energy-intensive processes and mobile machinery systematically decarbonize?
• What flexibility potentials can be leveraged to bridge the time lag between generation and actual plant consumption?
• How can large roof areas, settling basins, and wall surfaces be optimally utilized for renewable energy?
• Which technologies are already economically viable today, and which are more suitable for the medium to long term?
• How can investments be prioritized when multiple scenarios are possible?

Based on the transformation plan developed in the project, HDB can assess both the technical feasibility and the economic impacts and flexibility potentials on the path to greenhouse gas neutrality.

The recycling and waste management industry is one of the most energy-intensive economic sectors in Germany. Crushers, screening plants, drying processes, mobile machinery, and logistical operations result in significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, medium-sized recycling companies face the challenge of making their business models climate-neutral by 2045 without jeopardizing their competitiveness. The HDB transformation plan addresses precisely this issue and provides the foundation for a practical, economically viable path toward decarbonizing recycling facilities.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT is conducting research on this topic because the transformation of energy-intensive SMEs makes a key contribution to achieving Germany’s climate goals – and because proven concepts for sector coupling of energy, heat, process heat, and mobility in the recycling industry are currently lacking.

The recycling and waste management industry is characterized by energy-intensive processes such as crushing, screening, drying, mobile machinery, and logistics. At the same time, small and medium-sized enterprises must make their sites climate-neutral by 2045 – under significant cost and competitive pressure. The HDB Transformation Plan addresses this situation and develops an economically viable decarbonization pathway for the recycling sector. Fraunhofer UMSICHT is addressing this issue because practical, integrated concepts for the transformation of energy-intensive recycling facilities are currently lacking.

Load management and self-consumption

Time-flexible processes open up special potential for load management and self-consumption optimization. Through intelligent control, battery storage, and the use of surplus PV power, grid costs can be reduced and price fluctuations better cushioned. The project is developing and evaluating a practical concept for self-consumption optimization and dynamic tariff utilization.

Integrated approach to energy, heat, and mobility

A central approach of the project is the integrated consideration of the site: from electricity and heat supply through waste heat utilization and renewable generation (rooftop, floating, and vertical PV) to the electrification of the vehicle fleet. This identifies synergies and enables the development of technically and economically optimized comprehensive solutions.

Transferability

The transformation plan serves as a blueprint for comparable recycling and waste disposal sites with large areas and variable process control and can be used as a best-practice example for the industry.

• HDB Recycling GmbH