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Taken to a new level: Uniper and Evonik commission highly innovative heat pump
Taken to a new level: Uniper and Evonik commission highly innovative heat
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" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1; vertical-align: bottom; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-align: center;"> Share Share 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8149 fl.t.r.: Dr Frank Dudda, Mayor of Herne - Matthias Ohl, CEO of Iqony Fernwärme - Holger Kreetz, COO of Uniper - Heiko Mennerich, Head of NextGen Technologies at Evonik - Arne Hauner, Director of Innovation at Uniper and Rainer Stahl, Site Manager at Evonik in Herne Download Media Kit Preparing your download... Download An error occurred while preparing your download Düsseldorf, 14 April 2026 | 10:04 Europe/Berlin Taken to a new level: Uniper and Evonik commission highly innovative heat pump Summary Evonik and Uniper enable sustainable district heating supply in the Ruhr region Novel heat pump supplies around 1,000 households via district heating company Iqony and saves up to 1,750 tons of CO₂ per year Pilot project with scaling potential uses industrial waste heat from chemical production in Herne Herne. Uniper and Evonik are currently commissioning a highly innovative high-temperature heat pump that will now supply around 1,000 households in the Ruhr region with district heating. It uses low-temperature industrial waste heat from chemical production at Evonik's Herne site and transforms it to a temperature level suitable for district heating using pioneering technology. As project partner, Uniper was responsible for financing, planning, installation and operation of the facility and was supported in implementation by Evonik. Via the district heating company Iqony, the heat pump feeds up to 1.5 megawatts of heat into the district heating network. The project avoids up to 1,750 tons of CO₂ per year in regional heat supply - emissions that were previously caused by the use of fossil fuels. At the same time, Evonik benefits from supplying the heat: until now, electricity costs for electric fans in cooling towers were part of the energy bill. These units are used to cool down heated cooling water from chemical production processes. " In Herne, we are jointly demonstrating what innovative technology and partnership-based collaboration can achieve. Evonik and Uniper are driving the defossilization of the region and showing that sustainable energy, security of supply and economic success can go hand in hand. Thomas Wessel, Chief Human Resources Officer, Labor Director and Member of the Executive Board of Evonik, responsible for Sustainability " " With the high-temperature heat pump in Herne, we are sending a strong technological signal: as the first facility of its kind in Germany, it shows how low-temperature industrial waste heat can be made usable through sector coupling. For Uniper, electrifying the heat market is an important lever to support the economy with secure, affordable and increasingly low-carbon energy on the path to decarbonization. Together with Evonik, we are demonstrating how innovative solutions are already delivering tangible benefits for industry and municipalities today. Holger Kreetz, Chief Operating Officer at Uniper " Technically, the new high-temperature heat pump in Herne works in a similar way to a refrigerator - only in reverse. Evonik's production facilities in Herne require cooling water for operation, which is heated to around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius during processes. This waste heat is no longer left unused; instead, the heat pump raises the temperature further - to the level of the district heating network, up to 130 degrees Celsius. This temperature increase of more than 100°C at the megawatt scale is technically highly demanding and makes the facility the first of its kind in Germany. This is crucial for existing district heating networks, which require high flow temperatures that conventional heat pumps cannot provide. For the companies involved, the project has a pilot character: based on the insights gained, Uniper, Evonik and Iqony are examining options for scaling. In the future, it may be possible to integrate a further approximately 20 megawatts of waste heat. " The Ruhr region has enormous district heating potential. Industrial waste heat at different temperature levels plays a key role here. Many sources remain untapped - and we want to change that. Following Gelsenkirchen and Essen, we are now connecting the third waste heat project to our network in Herne within just a few months. The combination of waste heat and heat pumps shows that district heating from Iqony stands for a climate-friendly technology mix. Already today, around 50 percent of our heat comes from climate-neutral sources. With this pioneering project in Herne, we are making district heating even more future-ready. Matthias Ohl, CEO of Iqony's district heating business " This innovative heat solution brings Evonik closer to its goal of making the production site more sustainable and climate-neutral. " As an industrial city, we continue to rely on the chemical industry as a key driver of transformation - together with strong companies. Projects like this make Herne a pioneer region for green industry: waste heat becomes urban heat - reducing emissions, strengthening security of supply and bringing us closer to climate neutrality. Dr Frank Dudda, Mayor of the City of Herne " Previous Next 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8233 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8200 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8208 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_7935 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8233 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8200 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_8208 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne 2026 Evonik T O R T E Herne Fernwa╠êrme BOO_7935 Evonik, Fernwärme Projekt von Evonik mit Uniper und der Stadt Herne, Monatag 13. April 2026, auf dem Werksgelände von Evonik in Herne Previous Next Download Media Kit Preparing your download... Download An error occurred while preparing your download Your contacts for more information: Evonik Nadine Albach External Communications Evonik T +49 152 09392461 [email protected] Igony Henning Heinemann Spokesperson Steag Iqony T+49 151 59966904 [email protected] Uniper SE Svenja Kaltheuner Spokesperson Uniper T +49 151 51500408 [email protected] About Evonik: Leading beyond chemistry By combining innovative strength with leading technological expertise, Evonik goes beyond the boundaries of chemistry. Headquartered in Essen, the chemical company operates in more than 100 countries and generated sales of €14.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA of €1.9 billion in 2025. Around 31,000 employees worldwide are united by a shared purpose: to give customers a decisive competitive advantage as a superpower for industry with tailored products and solutions - and thereby improve people's lives. In all markets. Every day. Legal notice - Evonik Insofar as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or statements refer to the future, such forecasts, expectations or statements may be associated with known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ depending on changes in underlying conditions. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its affiliated companies undertake any obligation to update forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release. About Iqony "Iqony makes green energy possible": The Essen-based company plans, builds and operates green energy plants. It combines more than 85 years of engineering and energy industry experience with current technological developments. More than 2,600 employees deliver complex projects for industrial companies, utilities, cities and municipalities. Iqony focuses on expanding renewable energies, modern district heating networks and operating its own generation assets. Its portfolio includes district heating, photovoltaics, wind power, storage technologies, decarbonisation and hydrogen solutions. In the future, Iqony also plans to deploy hydrogen-ready and thus climate-neutral gas-fired power plants. Its overarching goal is to make a significant contribution to the energy and heat transition in Germany and Europe. About Uniper Düsseldorf-based Uniper is a European energy company with global reach and operations in more than 40 countries. It has about 7,000 employees and plays a key role in ensuring a secure energy supply in Europe, particularly in its core markets of Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Uniper's 18.5 gigawatts of power generating capacity make it a mainstay of reliable power production. Uniper is a leading gas trader and one of Northwestern Europe's most important LNG importers, and its broad procurement portfolio enhances supply security. Uniper's investments in renewables, hydrogen, and other low-carbon energy carriers propel the transformation of the energy system. Uniper provides energy and services to about 1,000 municipalities and industrial companies in its home market, Germany. Uniper is also Germany's largest operator of gas storage facilities and hydropower plants. Boilerplate This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Uniper SE Management and other information currently available to Uniper. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. Uniper SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to modify them to conform with future events or developments.