Another member of the Koehler Group is the Koehler Paper, an energy-intensive paper manufacturer that has been investing in its own energy supply for many decades and that is committed to renewable energy generation. Based on its own in-house energy supply, the Koehler Group has developed a business model for others. In 2012, this led to the setting up of Koehler Renewable Energy.

The paper industry remains one of the sectors with a particularly high energy demand. Power and heat are required to feed the paper through the long process from the liquid mass to the finished product – and then to dry it.

The paper industry used to rely on the power of water, which was also used to drive production processes. The first paper factories were water mills. These days, you need more than a stream to operate a paper factory. Returning to its roots, Koehler started generating renewable energy back in 2001 with B E B Bio Energie Baden GmbH.

Within a short space of time, Koehler Renewable Energy has grown the production of power and process steam, etc. into a significant line of business that the Koehler Group continues to expand. The aim is to generate more energy from renewable sources than is required for paper production by 2030.

To this end, Koehler continues to invest in biomass cogeneration plants, wind farms, hydroelectric power, and solar energy. The biomass cogeneration plants are built where the heat, in particular, is needed. And this is not just limited to the paper industry, as other sectors also require energy and heat. Biomass is particularly suitable in this regard: even though energy is produced by means of combustion, no fossil fuels are used and the only CO₂ released is the CO₂ that would be released anyway during the process of decomposition.

With its biomass cogeneration plants and other facilities, the Koehler Group is contributing to the energy transition in Germany and Europe.