Covestro to install Dormagen steam compressor, cutting Germany energy use 2%
- Investment: low double-digit million euros for a new steam compressor at Dormagen using a heat-pump principle to upgrade waste steam.
- Impact: recovers TDI-process steam, saving ~40,000 t CO2/yr and reducing German energy use by ~2%, a low three-digit GWh annual saving.
- Schedule: construction starts end of this year, compressor expected online mid-2027.
Project overview
Covestro is installing a new steam compressor at its Dormagen site that uses a heat‑pump principle to upgrade waste steam from TDI production into usable process steam.
Technical approach
The compressor raises the temperature and pressure of water vapor generated during TDI manufacturing—steam that was previously too cool and partly released as waste heat—making it suitable for other production processes.
Impact and targets
Expected annual savings are about 40,000 t CO2 and a low three‑digit GWh reduction in energy use, equivalent to roughly a 2% cut in the company’s German energy consumption versus 2025; Covestro reduced energy use ~40% from 2005–2022 and targets 20% less energy per ton by 2030 versus 2020.
Investment and schedule
The project requires a low double‑digit million‑euro investment; construction is due to start at the end of this year and the compressor is expected to enter service in mid‑2027.
Source: Covestro