Schloss Wachenheim AG - Konzern

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Environmental issues

Introduction

Even though the Schloss Wachenheim Group does not use any production processes that could endanger the environment, environmental protection is given special attention at all of our locations. We are continuously developing our environmental protection measures and are highly sensitive to this issue in all areas.

The protection of natural resources and the economical use of raw materials are therefore important components of our business policy. The manufacture of our products using modern, environmentally friendly production processes is just as important as environmental protection measures for packaging or modern logistics concepts, for example. Reduced energy consumption, a reduction in the noise generated by our production facilities and a minimization of pollutant emissions are the guidelines for our actions in all areas.


Energy and CO2 emissions

The activities of the individual companies of the Schloss Wachenheim Group or their operating sites (from wine production and wine processing to pure trading companies) differ significantly in terms of their energy intensity. Accordingly, environmental and energy management goals are set decentrally and depending on the corresponding production programs or performance spectra.

By far the largest amount of energy is used in our production sites, although this also varies greatly depending on the production programs. For example, the production of dealcoholized products is more energy-intensive than classic sparkling wine production. But changes in the depth of added value, batch sizes and the number of product variants also lead to changes in our energy figures due to changes in machine use and cleaning cycles. In this respect, the average energy and water consumption of our largest production plants per 0.75 liters bottle produced fluctuates between 0.09 and 0.16 kWh or between 0.4 and 1.5 liters.

The objective of Schloss Wachenheim AG and its subsidiaries is to reduce energy consumption and thus CO2 emissions as much as possible. This is done in the relevant sites on the basis of strategic energy targets, which are derived from adjusted past consumption data and set annually by the top management levels of the respective group companies and subsequently monitored and analyzed. The definition of group-wide targets is currently in progress, as well as the development of a sustainability management system.

When making investment decisions, we also ensure that the systems have a high degree of energy efficiency and at the same time comply with economic principles. When purchasing energy sources, we ensure that they are produced in the most climate-neutral way possible. We are constantly working on further optimizing our production and identifying potential for saving energy.


Waste management

The generation of waste and recyclable materials cannot be completely avoided in our production. Separate collection, recycling and proper disposal are carried out by appropriate specialist companies and within the framework of legal regulations. We also work with appropriately specialized companies to fulfill our obligations with regard to the packaging put into circulation.


Certifications and projects

Our production facilities in Germany have implemented an energy management system and are certified according to ISO 50001. At the Trier site, where we are also involved in the regional energy efficiency network, various individual projects to reduce our energy requirements were also implemented in the 2023/24 financial year. In particular, the renewal of steam generators in Trier and Wachenheim and the replacement of the heating control system at the Trier site are worth mentioning.

Measures to reduce electricity consumption have also been implemented in Bilgoraj (Poland), including the installation of energy-saving equipment such as cooling units, air compressors and LED lighting.

In addition, the switch from bottled mineral water to drinking water from drinking fountains is also contributing to CO2 savings.


Important projects

  • Photovoltaics and purchase of green energy

    Production and warehouse building in Trier

    A photovoltaic system with a total output of around 1.6 MWp is installed on the roof of our production and warehouse building in Trier. This covers almost 30% of our current energy requirements at the Trier site. An extension of this system by around 0.8 MWp is currently being planned.

    We are also planning to install such a system at the Wachenheim site. Due to the structural conditions at this site and the fact that some of the buildings there are listed monuments, the planning is more complex here.



    Production site in Bilgoraj (Poland)

    A photovoltaic system was also installed on an open area at our production site in Bilgoraj (Poland), which went into operation in October 2023. This covers around 30% of the electricity demand there. There is also a solar system on the roof of the AMBRA S.A. office building in Warsaw, which generates around 20% of the electricity demand (including the chargers for the company's electric vehicles).

    We are also examining the possibility of installing a photovoltaic system at the production and administration site in Tournan-en-Brie (France).




    The following amounts of electricity were produced with our systems in the 2023/24 financial year:

    • Schloss Wachenheim AG Trier: 1,259,812 kWh
    • AMBRA S.A. Bilgoraj: 642,306 kWh (April to September 2024)
    • AMBRA S.A. Warschau: 31,564 kWh


    The remaining part of the energy demand is largely covered by green energy.



  • Energy production from grape pomace

    Every year at our Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt winery, large quantities of residual materials incur, particularly the pomace that remains after the grapes have been pressed (around 1 t per hectare of vineyard). This consists of the stems, skins and seeds of grapes. These "leftovers" from wine production are by no means worthless, but rather recycled twice.

    Together with a cooperation partner, we initially use the pomace to generate electricity in a biogas plant.

    The fermented residue that remains after energy generation is afterwards used - together with horse dung from the same biogas plant - as fertilizer for our vineyards, a more cost-effective and resource-saving process than artificial mineral fertilizers. This means that a very large part of our fertilizer requirements is covered by a natural and sustainable cycle.



  • Electrification of the vehicle fleet and installation of charging stations

    Our company vehicle fleet has included cars with electric or hybrid drives for several years now. We purchased the first fully electric vehicle in 2017. Our fleet currently includes 39 electric vehicles and 22 hybrid vehicles groupwide. In addition, we use a total of 92 electric forklifts in our companies.

    We also operate a total of 26 charging stations for electric cars, 14 of which are in Trier, 10 in Warsaw (Poland) and 2 in Bilgoraj (Poland).



  • Substitution of CO2 as process gas by nitrogen

    In 2022, shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, the price and availability risks for goods packaging materials, raw materials and supplies, but also for CO2, have increased significantly. CO2 is mainly used as a process gas in our production processes. The use of nitrogen was examined as an alternative; a gas that, like CO2, does not react with the product, but, unlike CO2, does not have to be purchased and delivered externally – rather, it can be extracted from the ambient air.

    Consequently, we have built a plant with which we can extract highly pure nitrogen from the ambient air, use it in our processes, and then release it back into the ambient air. This does not only reduce our CO2 consumption, is also much more cost-effective.



  • Further projects

    Water recycling systems are planned in the production areas at the Trier and Bilgoraj (Poland) sites. Multiple use of water shall further reduce consumption in the long term.

    At the Trier site, the water from the bottle rinsing, i.e. cleaning the bottles before filling, and from cooling circuits is to be collected, and, after treatment, reused in the lubrication of the conveyor belts. The project is currently in the planning phase.





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