Covestro has successfully completed the modernization of its Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) plant in Dormagen, marking a significant step toward energy-efficient and sustainable production. The official commissioning took place at an event attended by approximately 60 distinguished guests from politics, business, and company staff, including North Rhine-Westphalia’s Environmental Minister, Oliver Krischer. During the event, Covestro also introduced its latest energy efficiency targets aimed at enhancing sustainability in production.

Dr. Philip Bahke, Head of the North Rhine-Westphalia Site Network, emphasized the significance of the project, stating, “The successful completion of this modernization demonstrates that climate protection and economic competitiveness can go hand in hand. The updated facility establishes new benchmarks for energy efficiency, reinforcing our journey toward climate-neutral production. Given the persistently high energy costs, this initiative considerably strengthens the competitiveness of TDI production in Europe. I extend my sincere gratitude to the entire project team for executing this complex upgrade while maintaining ongoing operations.”

Enhanced Efficiency for Sustainable Production

The modernization significantly reduces energy consumption, using 80% less energy compared to conventional processes. This results in an annual reduction of 22,000 tons of CO2 emissions. A key contributor to this efficiency gain is a newly installed reactor, weighing over 150 tons and towering nearly 20 meters (65.6 feet) high. This innovative reactor harnesses reaction energy to generate steam, further optimizing energy use.

The project, initiated in summer 2023, entailed extensive infrastructure upgrades. Over 3.5 kilometers of new pipelines, 14 kilometers of electrical cables, and hundreds of advanced monitoring instruments, valves, and equipment were integrated into the plant.

Dr. Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Head of Sales Performance Materials for the EMEA and LATAM regions, highlighted the broader impact of the modernization, explaining, “Our Dormagen site operates Europe’s largest TDI production facility. With this upgrade, we can now supply TDI with a significantly improved carbon footprint. This not only supports our customers in meeting their sustainability targets but also strengthens Covestro’s position as a key provider of climate-neutral and circular solutions.”

New Energy Efficiency Targets

At the event, Covestro also unveiled ambitious new global energy efficiency targets. The company aims to cut CO2 emissions from energy consumption per ton of product by 20% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. This initiative reinforces energy efficiency as a crucial driver in Covestro’s broader goal of achieving operational climate neutrality by 2035.

With an annual production capacity of 300,000 tons, the Dormagen TDI plant exemplifies how existing industrial facilities can be successfully transformed to align with modern sustainability standards. The project was supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of its funding program for energy and resource efficiency.