Micronas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Unit in operation – Another step towards "Green Industry Park North"

Freiburg's Lord Mayor Dr. Dieter Salomon and Micronas' CEO Matthias Bopp joined hands to start the combined heat and power unit with power-heat-cryo cogeneration at the Freiburg location.

Micronas (SIX Swiss Exchange: MASN), known and recognized in the automotive and industrial business as a global partner for intelligent, sensor-based system solutions inaugurated on 7th July 2014 the Company's own combined heat and power unit after a four month construction phase and so demonstrated its commitment to alternative power generation and at the same time cutting its operating costs. 

Following the installation of the large-scale photovoltaic system at the end of 2011, Micronas has now taken another major step towards the "Green Industry Park North" by setting up the combined heat and power unit at the Company's Freiburg location. Lowering the use of fossil energy sources also helps to lower the emissions of climate-relevant carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants. When it comes to reducing CO2 emissions, saving scarce resources is not only a concern for private households but also for trade and industry. Furthermore, the combined heat and power unit is yet another step towards the partially self-sufficient power supply of Micronas at the Freiburg site, together with the Company's own photovoltaic system ensuring annual savings of over 35 percent of the total power and energy consumption. “Protection of the environment and economic efficiency must interact for us to be successful in the long term”, says Matthias Bopp, CEO of Micronas. “With these energy saving measures, we not only lower our operating expenses but also save a total of 6,000 tonnes of CO2 every year”.

In the energy-intensive production of semiconductors, energy is needed in many areas and in various manifestations in the shape of heating, cooling and electric power. About 70 percent of the total energy at Micronas' Freiburg site is consumed by the wafer fabrication facility, primarily for air conditioning in the clean room and for ultra-pure water conditioning. Placing the power unit directly next to the production building keeps supply distances extremely short and ensures that transfer losses are kept to a minimum. Linking several consumer units into a heat-cryo combination and a supply network on the plant premises also guarantees that the waste heat generated can be used all year round – in winter for heating and in summer for cooling using what are known as absorption cryocoolers. The plant will therefore deliver ultimate operational efficiency with an extremely high use of primary energy.

For the construction work and the installation of the systems, Micronas relied solely on local companies, with the choice made for a modular mode of construction with several system units. This guarantees the best availability of the electric and thermal power if a unit fails or when carrying out service and maintenance work. The heart of the plant are two gas-driven combustion engines with a power rating each of 1,287 kW. If the plant is operated with the intended level of utilisation, the combined heat and power unit will reach a total energy efficiency for generating power, heat and cooling of over 90 percent.