Glückstadt, 01/10/2024 – Steinbeis Holding is set to acquire shares in B+S Papenburg Energie GmbH and EBS Concept GmbH on 1 October 2024. With this strategic acquisition, the family holding company – whose focus is on ecological paper production, plastics recycling, the circular economy and environmentally friendly energy production – is strengthening its commitment to sustainable energy. The acquisition is being undertaken by the long-standing joint venture partner Umweltdienste Bohn GmbH and significantly increases the share of sustainably generated energy within Steinbeis Holding to around 80 per cent.

Environmentally friendly energy generation at Steinbeis includes wind turbines, solar energy and biomethane, along with power plants for refuse-derived fuels and waste wood. Thanks to the current expansion, Steinbeis will have a self-generated electricity supply at a rate of more than 100 per cent in the future. This means that the holding company can not only cover the Group’s own energy needs entirely from sustainable sources, but also produce a surplus that is fed into the grid.

A focus on climate change mitigation and sustainable energy

This acquisition will be particularly important for Steinbeis Papier. As a pioneer in the manufacture of recycled paper, the company has been committed to sustainable production methods for a number of years to conserve resources and minimise its ecological footprint. The increased use of self-generated electricity marks a further step towards a sustainable circular economy. Steinbeis Papier is already renowned for its climate-friendly production, which is based on 100 per cent recycled paper and takes a resource-saving approach to the use of water and energy.

The acquisition will see Steinbeis Papier embrace completely renewable energy sources from within its own Group in the future. The use of RDF and waste wood power plants enables the recovery of waste materials, which in turn replaces fossil fuels and reduces emissions. This is in keeping with Steinbeis Holding’s aims of minimising the use of fossil-based materials and actively promoting the circular economy.

Change of name and future cooperation

As part of the acquisition, B+S Papenburg Energie GmbH will be renamed Steinbeis Energie Papenburg GmbH. Jörg Warnke will remain the managing director of both companies. In the area of operations – and the scheduling and purchasing of RDF and waste wood in particular – the successful cooperation with Umweltdienste Bohn GmbH will be continued.

Michael Söffge, managing director of Steinbeis Holding, sees this as a logical step for the holding company: ‘With this acquisition and the resulting positive impact on our carbon footprint, we are once again underlining our commitment to sustainability and resource conservation. The Steinbeis Group consistently embraces environmentally friendly technologies, thereby playing an active role in climate change mitigation. This is another milestone on the way towards a more environmentally friendly and forward-looking industry.’

About Steinbeis Papier

Steinbeis Papier GmbH, based in Glückstadt in northern Germany, is the European market leader in recycled graphical papers made from 100% recovered paper. Its product range includes printing and photocopying papers, coated offset papers and digital printing and label papers. Steinbeis Papier produced a total of 279,572 tonnes of paper in 2023 and generated a turnover of €279 million. The company has long been ecologically active and has contributed to a sustainable rethink in the paper industry and in consumer markets, while significantly shaping the development of the recycled paper market in Germany and Europe.