Green power for red WOLFFs - Luckau puts photovoltaic system into operation

26.07.2023 | Press Release

1,880 photovoltaic modules have recently been glittering under the sun on the roofs of Wolffkran’s production facility in Luckau. As of the end of July, they will produce roughly 700,000 kWh of sustainable power and thereby cover roughly 40 percent of total power needs for crane production in Luckau. The new system can still contribute roughly 15% of the required power for the current year of 2023. It will deliver 700 kWp of power during peak times. “As a result, not only do significantly cut costs at the site but also save roughly 255 tons of CO2 per year,” says David Zelder, Managing Director of Wolffkran Werk Brandenburg GmbH. Emis Electrics GmbH, headquartered in neighboring Lübbenau, installed the system. “Soon we will also set up six electric vehicle charging columns for employees and visitors,” says Zelder. Forklifts and lift trucks will soon be supplied with solar power at new outdoor charging stations as well.

Climate-friendly restructuring already taking place in Luckau

Of course, the recent high electricity prices were also what prompted the project to finally begin at the end of 2022,” concedes David Zelder. But crisis-related price increases are not the only thing that motivate site managers to strive for improved environmental friendliness at the site. “Next year, modernization of the heating and ventilation systems in the production hall and administration building based on renewable energies and heat recovery systems is on the agenda, and we will likewise implement them with local partners,” says David, providing a forecast. Even the recently acquired buildings over the years are being energetically renovated. Apart from an environmentally friendly heating and ventilation concept, electricity from solar energy is also expected to power the second production site.

Luckau, an important step towards a climate-neutral company

“Local measures such as at the Luckau site are part of Wolffkran’s overall strategy as it evolves into a climate-neutral company,” says Andreas Kahl, Managing Director of WOLFFKRAN GmbH. As was the case in 2020/21, Wolffkran has also acquired climate certificates for the years 2022/23 in order to use them to fully offset its annual greenhouse gas emissions. “We are glad that – thanks to local savings at all German locations – we have not had to offset as much CO2-equivalent contaminants in 2022/23 as in 2020,” says Kahl.

Using the certificates acquired in 2022, the company is supporting a wind energy project in Mexico. WOLFFKRAN is thus one of the first manufacturers in the industry to voluntarily compensate for its emissions in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol’s “Clean Development Mechanism” for reducing greenhouse gases.