Koenig & Bauer beats Russian gas shortage

German press manufacturing giant Koenig & Bauer will be independent of pipeline gas by the end of the month, meaning it will not be subject to variations in supply from Russia.

Koenig & Bauer has been working intensively in recent months on becoming independent of pipeline gas. As a result of these efforts, the process gas previously required for production will be fully substituted by the end of July. Germany is aiming to wean itself off Russian gas as soon as possible. It currently has a maximum of 40 per cent of supply.

By adapting its infrastructure, pipeline gas for Koenig & Bauer will be replaced by an energy mix consisting of LPG, heating oil, and district heating, among others, before the start of the heating season. In addition, the fuel supply for heating energy at Koenig & Bauer will be modified at the major production sites by 1 September.

Koenig & Bauer aims to achieve long-term independence from fossil fuels and resilience to future fluctuations on the energy markets.

The company says that as a consequence of a restricted gas supply, unforeseen fluctuations in the power grid cannot also not be ruled out, so it has procured high-capacity mobile emergency power units which can be deployed as required. This means that Koenig & Bauer's own production is largely secured at all European plants, even in the event of a Russian gas supply stoppage.

Koenig & Bauer is also continuing to work on sustainable energy concepts, an effort that was started before the tense supply situation. The overriding goal is long-term independence from fossil fuels and maximum self-sufficiency, particularly with regard to achieving the sustainability targets set by Koenig & Bauer itself and for maximum resilience to future fluctuations on the energy markets.