Mercer Stendal Puts Self-produced Bioenergy on the Road

Pursuing Ecological Change and Saving 65% in Energy Costs

Arneburg, Saxony-Anhalt, June 3, 2021 – Mercer Stendal not only produces approximately 127,500 kilowatt hours of bioelectricity per hour at the Arneburg pulp mill for its own consumption and for feeding into the public grid, but is now also using the energy on the road. 

On the morning of June 3rd, Managing Director André Listemann accepted an ID.3 electric vehicle from Anne Isensee, Volkswagen Sales Manager at the Rosier dealership in Stendal, which will supplement Mercer Stendal’s fleet in the future, powered by green electricity from Arneburg.

“Through the use of this vehicle, we are continuing down the path of electric mobility that we embarked upon last year,” Listemann explained. Mercer Stendal has already created the necessary infrastructure to charge electric vehicles on the plant premises, with implementation in the fall of 2020. “The addition was so well received that we have since installed a second charging station,” the Mercer managing director continued. 

The company is supporting the transition to electric mobility with current favourable prices and is pleased to see a good response from its own employees. “If the energy demand for these cars at our site continues to rise like this, a second expansion stage is already being planned. Up to 18 cars will be able to refuel simultaneously with green electricity from biomass,” André Listemann explained, looking to the future. This is not a jumping-on-the-bandwagon situation for Mercer, but rather part of the solution on Mercer Stendal’s continuous goal for ecological change. “Our raw material is renewable,” stated Listemann, the head of the pulp mill.

Compared to a passenger car with an internal combustion engine, Mercer Stendal expects to save about 65% in energy costs with the new Volkswagen ID.3. In addition, the vehicle’s consumption is completely neutral in terms of carbon dioxide.

At the handover, those responsible at Autohaus Rosier were not only pleased to continue the now 17-year collaboration with Mercer Stendal since the opening of the plant in 2004, but now also to accompany Mercer Stendal along their path of electric mobility. “For Volkswagen, as a manufacturer, as well as for us as a dealership, electric mobility is the central topic of this time,” said Anne Isensee. “Accordingly, we are pleased that we could inspire Mercer Stendal with our new ID.3. This will enable us to put self-produced bioenergy on the road by means of a safe vehicle,” the sales manager continued.

Even during the briefing, Mercer’s managing director was looking forward to the first ride.
Photo: Stefan Rühling