Arnstadt (dpa/th) - The largest industrial area in Thuringia, the "Erfurter Kreuz" near Arnstadt, is to be supplied with climate-neutral energy and process heat by 2030. Companies at the location and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS/Hermsdorf) have committed themselves to this goal with the "CleanEFX" project, about which Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) informed himself on Friday.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, there is hardly any experience nationwide with the supply of entire industrial areas with green energy. In the future, the energy supply at the Erfurter Kreuz should primarily consist of wind and solar power and the energy storage should be based on hydrogen, among other things. In total, investments of more than 100 million euros are estimated by industry and the public sector, it said. It is also hoped that the federal government will support this.
According to the information, the concept for a reliable supply of low-CO2 energy has been in the works since 2019. This is now to be converted into a model project for a climate-neutral energy supply for commercial areas.
The technologies for a climate-neutral and secure energy supply from regional sources are basically available, said Michael Stelter, deputy director of the IKTS institute. In the past, however, they were often used too timidly. The concept is also about potential energy savings, a better distribution of the electricity and heat requirements of the companies and the production of climate protection technologies at the industrial site.
According to the information, around 100 companies with around 8,000 employees have settled at the "Erfurter Kreuz" - including high-tech companies. The battery manufacturer Catl is currently building a large factory for car batteries at the "Erfurter Kreuz".
