Environmentally friendly plant helps secure future

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A new steam generation plant at Reflex GmbH & Co KG was inaugurated in Düren, Germany on 22 March 2016. The plant supplies the paper mill, which has a rich tradition, with steam. The energy service provider GETEC heat and power AG planned, financed and constructed the generation plant on a contracted basis, and will also provided additional energy services. Düren's chamberlain Thomas Hissel was guest of honour and gave the welcoming speech at the inauguration ceremony to which around 100 guests were invited.

In February 2015 the paper mill was taken over by German investors under the leadership of a private family run consortium and the traditional paper converter, May+Spies. In the coming years the company will invest several million Euros in the site and expand production. As part of the restructuring, it opted to produce its own steam. Until now, Reflex was supplied by a neighbouring company.

The new plant supplies up to 15 tonnes of steam per hour.

‘With our customised energy supply solution we have developed a concept that provides optimum coverage for the energy demands of Reflex, whilst still having sufficient reserves for an increase in production,’ said Volker Schulz, chief executive of GETEC heat and power.

The efficiency of the new energy supply system played an important part in securing the site over the long term. The new plant works in a resource efficient way. It offers a high degree of availability and reliability for supplying the paper manufacturing plant with the steam that it needs.

Hariolf Koeder, CEO of Reflex, sees the new plant as making an active contribution to securing the traditional site. ‘Reflex is investing in the future with this environmentally friendly steam generation plant. We placed a great deal of importance not only on achieving a flexible energy solution that met our needs, but also on finding an experienced partner.’

But it was not just the technical concept that won over the management team at the paper mill. GETEC constructs and operates the system on an energy service contracting basis. This means that all services are provided by GETEC, from planning and construction through financing, operation, maintenance and servicing. Reflex will receive a genuinely comprehensive worry free package for 10 years and – freed from the responsibility of dealing with its energy supply – can concentrate on its core competences.