Bad Münstereifel/Hamburg, September 22, 2026 – Peter Greven GmbH & Co. KG is advancing the electrification of its industrial steam supply at its Bad Münstereifel site. Together with ENERGYNEST, the chemical company is implementing a new power-to-heat system that uses both locally generated renewable electricity and flexibly sourced grid power to provide process steam on demand.
ENERGYNEST is responsible for the engineering, integration and delivery of the complete system. The plant combines a 6 MW electric heater, a 30 MWh high-temperature thermal energy storage system comprising 15 ThermalBattery™ modules, and a 2 MW electric steam boiler. Together, the system can cover up to 100% of the site’s process heat demand. Commissioning is scheduled for summer 2028.
With the project, Peter Greven will replace a significant share of its existing natural gas-based steam generation with a flexible electric energy supply. Much of the electricity required will come from an adjacent photovoltaic plant, supplemented by renewable grid electricity. The new system makes it possible to convert renewable electricity into heat when it is available, store that energy, and make it available to production on demand.
Flexible electrification for a reliable process steam supply
Process steam is essential to numerous production and processing steps at Peter Greven. Its supply must reliably follow the needs of production – regardless of when renewable electricity is available.
This is where the new energy system comes in. The high-performance electric heater converts electricity into high-temperature heat, which is stored in ENERGYNEST’s ThermalBattery™ modules. The stored energy can then be used on demand to supply steam to production. The additional electric steam boiler complements the system by providing direct electric steam generation.
This decouples electricity consumption from industrial steam production. Peter Greven can use renewable energy more flexibly and align electricity consumption more closely with PV generation, power market conditions and grid requirements, while maintaining a reliable and cost-efficient supply of process heat.
“With this project, we are taking a major step towards decarbonizing our Bad Münstereifel site. Electrifying steam generation with energy storage technology enables us to align renewable electricity with the requirements of our production processes. In ENERGYNEST, we have found an experienced partner that not only provides the necessary technology, but also integrates the individual components into an energy system tailored to our requirements. This combination of technological expertise and proven experience in delivering industrial projects was a key factor in our decision,” says Carsten Rader, Managing Director Technology, Peter Greven GmbH & Co. KG.
Up to 78% lower CO₂ emissions
By switching from natural gas to renewable electricity, Peter Greven expects to reduce CO₂ emissions from steam generation by up to 78%. The project, funded under Germany’s Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Action (Bundesförderung Industrie und Klimaschutz, BIK), has the potential to save approximately 5,240 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
The project is not only the largest sustainability-focused transformation project undertaken to date at Peter Greven’s headquarters. It also demonstrates a practical solution to one of the key challenges of industrial decarbonization: turning renewable electricity into a reliable and flexible energy supply for industrial processes.
“The technology to electrify industrial heat is here. Now it is about deploying it at scale in industrial plants. That is exactly what we are doing with Peter Greven,” says Alex Robertson, CEO of ENERGYNEST. “We are not simply supplying a thermal energy storage system. We are delivering the energy system that turns renewable electricity into reliable process steam for production – from electric heating and energy storage through to integration into the steam supply. This is not a pilot project for a technology of tomorrow. It is industrial energy infrastructure that we can build today. Peter Greven is showing how industrial companies can replace fossil gas in their heat supply through electrification.”
From funding concept to industrial delivery
The project “PV-Power2Process-Steam – Demand-driven process steam generation from volatile PV electricity” (original German title: „PV-Power2Process-Steam – Bedarfsgerechte Prozessdampferzeugung aus volatilem PV-Strom“) is funded under the Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Action (Bundesförderung Industrie und Klimaschutz, BIK) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The funding amounts to approximately €5.83 million. It supports the commercial viability of the investment and helps shorten the payback period. In the long term, the new energy supply is intended not only to reduce CO₂ emissions, but also to lower energy costs at the site and reduce dependence on fossil natural gas.
With the appointment of ENERGYNEST, the project is now moving from planning to delivery. ENERGYNEST is responsible for the engineering and integration of the power-to-heat solution, bringing the individual system components together into an integrated plant tailored to the site’s energy and steam supply requirements.
The project also has relevance beyond the individual site. Process steam is a major source of fossil energy consumption across many energy-intensive industries. Combining electric heat generation, thermal energy storage and flexible steam generation provides a way to electrify this supply without requiring industrial production and renewable energy availability to coincide. The concept being implemented in Bad Münstereifel can therefore serve as a blueprint for the electrification of process heat at other industrial sites.
About Peter Greven
For more than 100 years, Peter Greven has stood for expertise in oleochemistry. The family-owned company was founded in Bad Münstereifel in 1923 and remains headquartered there today. With additional production sites in the Netherlands, Malaysia and the United States, the Peter Greven Group has developed into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of oleochemical additives. The company serves customers in more than 85 countries, combining decades of expertise with a commitment to responsibly transforming renewable raw materials into future-ready solutions.
About ENERGYNEST
Founded in 2011, ENERGYNEST is a pioneer in integrated power-to-heat solutions and thermal energy storage for industrial decarbonization. Our technology delivers safe and sustainable heat and steam, reducing dependence on fossil fuels while ensuring a stable and cost-efficient energy supply. Designed for flexibility and efficiency, our solutions capture and store renewable energy, minimize energy losses and provide reliable process heat whenever it is needed. Scalable, fast to install and commercially available today, ENERGYNEST enables industry to transition towards a future-proof, fossil-free energy system.
Press contact:
Denise Haas
Peter Greven GmbH & Co. KG
Peter-Greven-Straße 20-30
53902 Bad Münstereifel, Germany
Phone: +49 2253 313 119
Email: d.haas@peter-greven.de
Mareike Schumm
ENERGYNEST
Caffamacherreihe 7
20355 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 152 0880 5725
Email: msc@energynest.com
