Finzelberg’s biomass heating plant: efficient and economical

• Core element of the energy system at Finzelberg’s Andernach site since 2025
• Fueled by regional waste wood
• Heightens supply and planning security

When it comes to energy, sustainability and economic efficiency go hand in hand. With that in mind, Finzelberg installed its own biomass heating plant in January 2025 – the nature network’s biggest project to date for the self-generation of renewable energy. Its benefits are improved energy supply security, more predictable heating costs, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. 

Regenerative heating for production

The biomass heating plant is a conscious investment in a state-of-the-art, super-efficient, high-tech and low-emission facility. With an efficiency rate of almost 94 percent, the plant makes a major contribution to efficient and economical heating at Finzelberg’s Andernach site.

Since going into operation in January 2025, the plant has provided up to 60 percent of the heating energy for extract production and building heating at the Andernach site – and that figure is set to increase. Thus far, Finzelberg has increased the share of self-generated renewable energy to 58 percent. The plant is fired by regional waste wood and windfall timber obtained from sustainable management of forests in the nearby Eifel, Hunsrück and Westerwald areas – no trees have to be felled to fuel the heating plant. Transportation times are shorter, a regional resource is sustainably utilized, and the local economy benefits.

The plant replaces around 27,000 megawatt hours of natural gas each year and reduces site-related CO₂e emissions by around 6,300 tonnes. At the same time, it provides a stable, efficient and lasting foundation for Finzelberg’s energy-intensive production processes such as extraction and drying.

Finzelberg’s Andernach site, photo: Finzelberg

Planning ahead

The plant’s economic efficiency is demonstrated in its daily operations, and construction of the plant couldn’t have come at a better time. The current price for woodchips is €34.60 per megawatt hour and prices are much more likely to remain low and predictable than those of fossil fuels, which fluctuate wildly in times of geopolitical tension. Alongside the distinct cost benefit, using biomass gives Finzelberg planning security. Generating its own heating energy reduces the company’s reliance on fossil fuels and the volatile energy markets. CEO Michael Braig, sums up the approach: “Our actions are shaped by foresighted thinking. That means making decisions today that remain viable under the market and energy conditions of the future.”

Fossil fuels are replaced by regionally sourced biomass: the plant is fired by woodchips, photo: Finzelberg

Net zero at Finzelberg’s German sites

The biomass heating plant is a key element of Finzelberg’s long-term business and climate strategy. It played a big role in the milestone achievement of a neutral carbon footprint in Scopes 1 and 2 at the German sites in Andernach and Sinzig in 2025. The plant also puts production on a stronger economic footing by making energy consumption and costs easier to plan for. It is thus instrumental in improving the efficiency of day-to-day operations and driving progress toward Finzelberg’s science-based climate target of achieving net zero CO₂e emissions along the entire supply chain by 2040. Finzelberg reports on its progress regularly in line with the requirements of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

A look inside the biomass heating plant at the Andernach site, photo: Finzelberg