ENVIRONMENT
Sustainability as a measure of success: Not only consumers but also companies expect their business partners to act responsibly. Protecting the environment and using resources responsibly is therefore not just an obligation for us, but a genuine priority.
What we do
Working together for a clean and safe future.
Through a wide range of measures, we ensure that life remains attractive for people living in and around the Chemiepark Knapsack. We continuously monitor emissions, reduce pollution, take advantage of recycling opportunities, and dispose of waste responsibly:
Wherever energy is generated, emissions are released into the air. To minimize any potential negative impacts, we use state-of-the-art environmental technology and continuously monitor our processes.
All facilities at the Chemiepark Knapsack undergo a comprehensive approval process by the Cologne District Government prior to commissioning. The government verifies that permissible limits for air pollutants are reliably met through appropriate exhaust gas treatment systems and that the facilities comply with state-of-the-art standards.
Continuous Pollutant Monitoring
Independent experts regularly monitor the levels of pollutants in the exhaust air from the production facilities at the site. We continuously transmit some of these measurement values to the relevant regulatory authorities. In the Alt-Hürth district, near the chemical park, the State Office for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection continuously measures air quality.
Mechanical manufacturing processes generate noise. This is virtually unavoidable. That is why we employ a variety of solutions to minimize this noise pollution for the neighborhood, the environment, and our employees.
When planning new facilities, we develop effective noise reduction concepts based on acoustic assessments, ensuring that noise limits are strictly adhered to both within the chemical park and in the surrounding neighborhood. We also implement noise control measures, such as sound insulation and structural barriers.
Noise pollution emanating from the chemical park is monitored at six measurement points in the neighborhood.
Every facility at the Chemiepark Knapsack requires water. It serves as a coolant and an energy source in the form of hot steam. We use fully desalinated water in various manufacturing processes.
We obtain our water via our own supply line from a water treatment plant in Erftstadt. To use this valuable resource as efficiently as possible, we treat the water on-site and reuse it. Cooling water is distributed throughout the chemical park via pipelines in a closed loop and cooled in our recooling systems through contact with air. This allows us to reuse it more than 20 times.
Wastewater Treatment
We treat the industrial wastewater from the chemical park so that it can be safely returned to the natural water cycle. Since 1929, this has been the responsibility of Abwassergesellschaft Knapsack GmbH. On behalf of Abwassergesellschaft, YNCORIS operates two modern wastewater treatment plants in the chemical park.
We treat industrial and sanitary wastewater from the Chemiepark Knapsack and neighboring companies in our three-stage treatment plants using mechanical, chemical, and biological processes. Regular sampling and analytical testing by our own staff, independent experts, and regulatory officials ensure high water quality. The treated water flows into the adjacent Duffesbach stream and then into a canal, eventually reaching the Rhine.
In the event of special circumstances or abnormal readings in the wastewater, we can retain up to 30,000 cubic meters of water and dispose of it later in cooperation with the regulatory authorities.
Unlike in households, the production facilities at the Chemiepark Knapsack generate organic and inorganic waste. This waste can be solid, liquid, or gaseous. We dispose of exhaust gas streams and liquid residues from the production facilities centrally and in an environmentally responsible manner in the chemical park’s on-site waste incineration plants. Pollutants contained therein are destroyed or bound at temperatures exceeding 800 degrees Celsius. The hydrochloric acid produced in the process is treated and reused in the facilities. The incineration plants are equipped with multi-stage flue gas cleaning systems and modern measuring equipment.
For numerous recyclable materials, such as scrap metal, electronic waste, or oils, there is a dedicated waste disposal center at the Chemiepark Knapsack in addition to on-site collection points. Recycling or disposal is handled by certified partner companies.
But our waste management begins much earlier: during the planning and development of facilities, we assess whether and how we can prevent or minimize waste generation. This also applies to packaging and potential substitutes.
Our promise
A responsible neighbor.
The highest safety and environmental standards at our facilities are a given. This allows us to fulfill our responsibility to you, our employees, and the environment. We therefore consistently pursue the goals of the chemical industry’s “Responsible Care” initiative. Through this, we are committed to the continuous improvement of environmental protection, safety, and health.
Sustainability
Whether it’s reducing CO2 emissions, water consumption, or wasteful processes - at the Chemiepark Knapsack, we are constantly working to become more sustainable. By 2035, the companies based at the site are expected to have the opportunity to achieve carbon-neutral production, among other goals. To this end, the operator, YNCORIS, is gradually transitioning to renewable energy.
