The pilot project of the Essity plant in the Wiesbaden district of Mainz-Kostheim impressively demonstrates how the fight against climate change can and should be carried out efficiently.
In the long term, the manufacturer of hygiene paper intends to use technical innovations to convert its production so that it no longer emits carbon dioxide that is harmful to the climate.
The Wiesbadeners still have a long way to go before this is the case, but the direction is the right one.
In addition, the Swedish parent company Essity is a heavyweight in the international market with annual sales of around twelve billion euros. If the Wiesbaden-based company succeeds in converting from natural gas to green hydrogen at a reasonable cost, it is to be expected that the other international production facilities of the Swedes will also use this process.
In order for the initial spark to succeed in Wiesbaden, however, sufficient environmentally friendly hydrogen must be available. The Mainz municipal utilities, which are one of Essity's cooperation partners, produce this so-called green hydrogen with the help of wind energy. According to Michael Worch, the managing director of Mainzer Netze GmbH, this is not enough to ensure continuous operation in the plant. It is still open whether there are other providers who can do this.
The Essity plant manager Thorsten Becherer from Kostheim described the availability of green hydrogen as the crux of the Wiesbaden-based plans. With their pilot project, however, the paper manufacturers are creating a market that is in demand for climate-neutral hydrogen. This could lead to increased production capacities for green hydrogen. During the pilot phase, 100 trucks will transport the hydrogen from Mainz to Kostheim. Of course, this is not a solution in the long run. Corresponding pipelines will be required in the long term.
All in all, the Wiesbaden example shows that innovation, inventive talent and entrepreneurial design are indispensable prerequisites for effectively combating climate change and its consequences.
It's great that Wiesbaden, and with it the Rhine-Main area, are at the forefront.