UD Print AG in Lucerne, Switzerland, has recently begun production
operations using the world's first certified carbon-neutral
Speedmaster XL 105-5+LX sheetfed offset press from Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). The greenhouse gases produced in
manufacturing the press have been calculated and offset.
Environmental impact experts PE International took account of all
relevant parameters, from extracting raw materials and material
production to press manufacture, testing, and transportation to the
print shop.
According to a study by PE International, manufacture of a
Speedmaster XL 105-5+LX equates to emissions totaling 320 tons of
carbon dioxide. That is roughly one tenth of the volume of carbon
dioxide generated each year from manufacture of print products on
such a press, with the proportion of paper making up around 90
percent of the total carbon dioxide volume.
"This certificate underlines our environmental
responsibility and we are proud to be pioneers in
sustainability," explains Ulrich Bigler, Manager of UD Print
AG. In this way, the company is a model business in terms of its
energy efficiency.
Carbon dioxide emissions are offset through purchasing and
cancelling 320 emission credits (1 = 1t CO2e) which come from the
Te Apiti wind farm WWF Gold Standard climate protection project in
New Zealand.. The claim of being an additional project
is settled by the "UNFCCC´s Additionality Tool"
(UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
Te Apiti is the first wind farm in New Zealand that provides
consumers with electricity directly and covers a total of 45,000
households. Wind power is a renewable energy source and thus
ensures sustainable environmental development.
Heidelberg presses - with or without a climate certificate
In order to assess the climate effect of its production,
Heidelberg provided the environmental impact experts with all
relevant information from its Amstetten, Brandenburg, and
Wiesloch-Walldorf plants and external areas of the production
chain. Missing data in the supply chain, for example for standard
electronics components, was compensated for by generously rounding
up the results. All emissions from manufacturing are therefore
covered.
In the future, Heidelberg will be offering this service to
all its customers, who will be able to choose between
"regular" Speedmaster XL 105 presses or those with a
climate certificate. For all other presses, this service is
available on demand. Heidelberg is thus the first mechanical
engineering company to offer its customers a package of this type.
Energy recovery in a closed cycle
UD Print AG is the parent company of the UD Media Group. Its
over 120 employees produce advertising materials, catalogs,
magazines, and books. In November 2007, the company moved into a
new, state-of-the-art building in Lucerne.
As well as UD Print AG, the three other divisions UD Neue
Medien, UD Verlag and UD Promotion have also moved into the new
building. The UD Media Group has a total workforce of 170
employees.
UD Print AG itself has a production area of 2,000 square
meters with optimal conditions for horizontal material
logistics, from the paper store and printing process to postpress
and shipping. The pressroom already houses both a Speedmaster SM
102 five-color and ten-color press.
The UD Media Group has invested significant sums in energy
recovery using a closed hot/cold water cycle. The system keeps the
company largely independent from external energy sources and cuts
fossil energy needs to a minimum to ensure CO2 emissions are as low
as possible.
Image:
Ulrich Bigler (left), Manager of UD Print AG, receives the
climate certificate for the Speedmaster XL 105 from Urs Saner,
Deputy Manager Heidelberg Swiss.
For further information, please contact
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Hilde Weisser
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 5066
Fax: +49 (0)6221 9299 5066
E-mail:
hilde.weisser@heidelberg.com