Henkel feeds industrial waste heat into Düsseldorf's heating network

16.07.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Henkel and Stadtwerke Düsseldorf are building an energy center for industrial waste heat. The new 51-meter-high chimney marks the progress of the project in Holthausen.

A 51 meter high steel chimney has recently been erected in Düsseldorf-Holthausen. It weighs 56 tons, measures 3.60 meters in diameter and, according to Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, is the centrepiece of a joint project with Henkel. The Düsseldorf-based consumer goods and industrial company and the energy supplier have been working on feeding industrial waste heat from Henkel's production into the Stadtwerke's district heating network since 2022. The plant is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2026, as the companies announced on July 15.

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG is building an energy center on the Henkel site. In future, industrial waste heat and heat from combined heat and power generation will be processed there to supply households in the south of Düsseldorf with district heating. Henkel had already given up coal as an energy source at the Düsseldorf site in 2024. The company's coal storage facility was previously located on the site of the new chimney.

According to Henkel, the industrial waste heat cannot currently be used efficiently internally. By feeding it into the district heating network, Henkel and Stadtwerke Düsseldorf want to decarbonize the local heat supply. According to Stadtwerke, up to 35% of the district heating for the districts of Garath and Benrath is to come from this industrial waste heat and from combined heat and power generation in future.

Avoiding greenhouse gases

This could significantly reduce natural gas consumption, which should reduce the annual CO2 emissions of the state capital Düsseldorf by around 6,500 tons. "At the Düsseldorf site alone, we have reduced our CO2 emissions by almost 60 percent in the last three years," explained Daniel Kleine, Henkel President Germany and Site Manager Düsseldorf.

Julien Mounier, CEO of Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, also emphasized the importance of the cooperation: "A project of this magnitude needs strong partners from business and politics. Our special thanks therefore go not only to Henkel, but also to the state capital and the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, which is providing the crucial funding for this project."

In addition to the construction of the energy center, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf laid a 3.6-kilometer-long pipeline from Benrath to Holthausen to connect the new heat supply. At the same time, Stadtwerke renewed supply lines for gas, water and electricity, which should also benefit the security of supply.

The project is receiving financial support from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is supporting the work via the "progres.nrw - heating and cooling network systems" funding program. According to Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, this funding ensures the economic implementation of a project of this magnitude. Now that the chimney has been completed, the construction of the energy center is nearing completion. After a trial run, regular operation is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2026.

Author: Susanne Harmsen