Production processes are evaluated inclusive of precursors and energy

Bayer Climate Check documents climatic effect and reveals potential savings

Bayer Technology Services has developed a new control instrument for making production more energy-efficient and climate-friendly: the Bayer Climate Check.

With this tool it has become possible for the first time to evaluate not only the production plant itself but also all the raw materials and energy needed for production together with the logistics up to the factory gate.

The climate-relevant assessment is achieved with a new key performance indicator, the so-called "climate footprint". The climate footprint provides decision-makers with an ecological criterion for assessing production processes and investment and technology projects in addition to the conventional profitability indicators.

With the aid of the Climate Check, Bayer will expand the established procedure of assessing new investments on ecological grounds to include aspects of climate protection.

By the end of 2009, Bayer aims to have systematically analyzed 100 production plants around the world with the Bayer Climate Check, accounting for around 85 percent of Bayer’s greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby to identify potential emission reductions. With the aid of the Climate Impact Analysis, which is aligned to the Six Sigma method, suitable lists of activities are drawn up and optimization methods prioritized.

The CO₂ reduction measures extend from the simple improvement of individual pump systems, through complex switch arrangements for heat flows, to innovative developments from the field of process intensification, such as new reaction methods using micro-reaction technology. Additional measures can range from better coordinated delivery chains to far-reaching optimization of work procedures such as automation or the visualization of CO₂ emissions.

The methodology of the Bayer Climate Check is oriented to internationally recognized standards. To document the transparency and objectivity of the procedure, the methodology of the Bayer Climate Check has been certified by TÜV Süd, one of the world's leading auditing organizations in the field of climate protection. The Bayer Climate Check will also be offered to other companies as a tool for reducing CO₂emissions.

For Bayer, efficiency is key when it comes to the prompt development of new production processes and innovative technologies that make sparing use of raw materials and energy. Bayer has succeeded, for example, in decoupling production volume from energy consumption, thereby – despite growth – reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent since 1990.