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Ideas for a Better Tomorrow

Celebrating the Winners of the Championship Day 2024, our idea competition that aims to improve our environmental performance

July 5, 2024

The greatest ideas often begin with something as simple as a pencil and a piece of paper. These humble beginnings, fueled by creativity and collaboration, can have the potential to drive positive change.

Since 2019, our Global Competence Cluster for Energy and Water Management has been organizing the Championship Day, an idea competition designed to harness the collective creativity of our teams worldwide. The Championship Day invites all Fresenius Kabi employees to team up, brainstorm, and develop projects to improve our environmental performance. They have the chance to present their innovative ideas to a global jury, consisting of Fresenius Kabi board members and seasoned ESG experts from the company. This event is more than just a competition; it's a celebration of the power of collaboration and the spirit of innovation. By coming together, we create solutions that have a lasting impact on our sustainability goals.

For the Championship Day 2024, some teams generated hundreds of ideas. From these, 80 outstanding proposals from 27 sites all over the world were selected to present to the jury. In this article, we want to introduce you to the three winning ideas. Learn more about the innovative concepts that will be implemented within the next 12 months!

Fresenius Kabi team Beijing

Winner in the Category “Water”

Beijing, China – Wastewater Recovery

Estimated Investment: 
€100,000

Estimated Savings per Year: 
20,000 m3 of water

Team from left to right:
Xiaofeng Qiu (Utility Line Leader); Fengzhan Chen (Automation Senior Engineer); Yifa Tian (Utility Monitoring); Xingwang Zhang (Utility Engineer); Kun Wang (Utility Technician); Songyu Liu (Utility Supervisor)

team Beijing Fresenius Kabi

The idea

During the production of medication used in the treatment of chronic kidney disease, an organic solvent is used, which needs to be absorbed by water before it can be safely released into the atmosphere. Currently, this water, after absorbing the solvent, is sent to the wastewater treatment station and then drained into the municipal system. The project aims to reuse this treated water. By implementing a new filtration system, the treated water from the wastewater treatment station can be used again to absorb the organic gas. This will partially replace the tap water currently used for this purpose, leading to significant water savings.

water reuse Beijing idea

The impact

By reusing treated (waste)water to absorb waste gas, this project will save a significant amount of tap water. Reusing treated water reduces the demand for fresh tap water, contributing to more sustainable water management practices and therefore more available water for the local community. It also means lower water bills and reduced costs for water procurement and treatment. All in all, this measure lessens the environmental impact, supporting cleaner production processes and contributing to environmental conservation.

Winner in the Category “Innovative Energy”

Linz, Austria – DC Interconnection of First-Product Centrifuges

Estimated Investment: 
€75,000

Estimated Savings per Year: 
125,000 kWh 

Team from left to right:
Robert Steinbrugger (Lactulose Production Supervisor); Michael Heschik (Technical Supervisor); Holzer Jürgen (Head of Electrical Engineering)

team Linz Fresenius Kabi

The idea

At Lactulose production site Linz, centrifuges are used to separate lactose (milk sugar) from lactulose solution. Lactose is recycled and brought back into the process. These centrifuges have a very short cycle duration of about eight minutes, during which they accelerate, centrifuge, and decelerate. Currently, the braking energy generated during deceleration is entirely converted into heat via brake resistors and therefore wasted.

The new idea now allows this released energy to be used in a second centrifuge. For the planned intermediate circuit coupling, the frequency converters of the centrifuges are interconnected in a direct current network. A control system ensures that the energy is optimally distributed within the DC network.

As a result, the released braking energy from one centrifuge, similar to energy recovery in electric vehicles, can be transferred to the entire system. The break energy from one centrifuge is used to accelerate another and therefore reduce the amount of electricity used from the grid. 

water reuse Beijing idea

The impact

Utilizing the braking energy reduces the plant's overall electricity consumption by up to 125,000 kWh annually, lowering energy costs and contributing to more sustainable production. The plant operates more efficiently by minimizing energy losses. This also protects the frequency converters and centrifuges, extending their lifespan.

The intermediate circuit coupling of the centrifuges in Linz thus represents an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for utilizing braking energy and reducing energy consumption. This leads to technical, economic, and ecological benefits, enhancing the overall efficiency of the production plant.

Winner in the Category “Impact”

Friedberg, Germany – Heat Pump Cooling Water

Estimated Investment: 
€410,000 

Estimated Savings per Year:
1,118,000 kWh gas
1.600 m3 water
Additional need for electricity of approx. 280,000 kWh

Team from left to right: 
Tobias Listmann (Director Operations Processes); Carina Schlein (Energy Efficiency Engineer)

team Linz Fresenius Kabi

The idea

Currently, the Friedberg production building relies on natural gas for heating. The proposed solution aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by reusing heat from the production process. The plan involves supplying the heating system from the return flow of the cooling water, utilizing a heat pump to elevate the temperature to about 90°C. To achieve CO2 neutrality, the electricity required for the heat pump must be sourced from green energy. 

water reuse Beijing idea

The impact

Utilizing the braking energy reduces the plant's overall electricity consumption by up to 125,000 kWh annually, lowering energy costs and contributing to more sustainable production. The plant operates more efficiently by minimizing energy losses. This also protects the frequency converters and centrifuges, extending their lifespan.

This innovative approach leverages existing waste heat from the cooling water, making the heating process far more efficient. By using a heat pump, we can convert 1 kWh of electricity into 4 kWh of heat, compared to a traditional method where 1 kWh of gas produces only 1 kWh of heat. Implementing this system in Friedberg by 2025, with the heat pump powered by green electricity, will make the hot water supply CO2 neutral and save over 200 tons of CO2 annually. This not only reduces reliance on natural gas but also optimizes resource usage, ensuring a sustainable and environmentally friendly production process.

Recognized Excellence: Additional Projects Set for Implementation

Having three winning ideas does not diminish the value of the other proposals – indeed, more are set for adoption! All ideas requiring an investment of under €50,000 were approved for immediate implementation. 

Among proposals with larger investments that were selected for execution is a project expected to save approximately 1,500,000 kWh of energy through warehouse optimization at our Beijing plant in China. Additionally, other teams with promising projects, such as a significant initiative to reduce waste and water consumption from Vicchio in Italy, have been encouraged to refine their proposals to reach implementation readiness.

Dr. Marc-Alexander Mahl, President Pharma, Nutrition & Sustainability of Fresenius Kabi, is proud of the achievements: “We are very pleased with the outcomes of this year's Championship Day. The creativity and dedication shown by our teams across the globe are commendable. The Championship Day is more than a competition; it represents the collaboration and innovation that drives Fresenius Kabi. By working together, we are making significant progress towards our sustainability goals.”

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