Affordable and clean energy
Power with responsibility: Our path to an energy management system
Pipe systems need power. Especially if they are made of steel. The material is robust, durable and easy to recycle, but processing it costs energy. In 2024 alone, our Porta Westfalica headquarters consumed around 10 million kilowatt hours. But we don't want to waste energy. Sustainability is in JACOB's DNA – whether in the use of materials, consumables or energy consumption.
That’s why we will be relying on a new, intelligent energy management system from mid-2025. The goal: to lower consumption, reduce costs and protect the environment. A logical step – and one that shows: efficiency is not optional for us, but a responsibility.
From idea to realisation: A project with energy
The go-ahead was given in autumn 2023 – from then on, plans have been in full swing. Around 20 months later, the result has materialised: an impressive custom-tailored energy management system, developed under the leadership of Sustainability Manager Lisa Kleemann and in close collaboration with the team from EnergieKonzept Krause GmbH in Herford.
Although it is not our only incentive, the system also fulfils the requirements of the new Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG). Since 2023, companies with an annual consumption of more than 7.5 gigawatt hours must operate an energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001.
"The foundation stone had been laid – we had long since fulfilled many of the standard requirements," says Lisa looking back. "Now it was a matter of bundling and structuring everything and getting it ready for the audit." And we succeeded – with a lot of expertise, teamwork and a clear goal: smarter use of energy.
From the big picture to the details – energy consumption made transparent
For the initial certification, we started without automatic data collection at the workstations. Up to now, we have mainly focused on total consumption. Now, we are delving deeper: Which areas consume how much? Where is the potential? These are precisely the questions we answer with our new system. The benefit: in future, we will be able to break down our energy efficiency targets very specifically to individual areas. Instead of optimising across the board, we can take a targeted approach.
"Empty promises are a no-go for us. We have therefore set up our energy management system in such a way that it calls for specific measures to increase efficiency every year. This ensures that we continuously improve our energy efficiency in a structured manner."
Dr. Arne Stuckenberg,
takes care of production and is therefore responsible for the majority of electricity consumption
More is always possible
The days of manual data collection and tedious allocation to individual machines are over. With the new system, we can see at the touch of a button how much energy is being consumed in the production chain and where – clearly, precisely and in real time. "The fact that we now know exactly where the energy demand arises makes it much easier to make the right adjustments," says Arne. "We have already improved significantly in recent years – but there is still room for improvement."
In mid-2025, we will have a large photovoltaic system installed. Other specific plans include intelligent heating control systems and even better utilisation of waste heat from production processes. "I am convinced that we are taking the next big step – not just on paper, but measurably in our energy balance."
Forming technology – We do it ourselves
We are the only player in modular pipe construction to operate our own forming technology. This means: we have everything under control – from the selection of machines to the quality of each individual part. Wherever possible and sensible, we use servomotors.
In 2025, our new press with servo motor was installed – replacing two older machines after almost 70 years. It is used for the production of semi-finished parts, such as transition pieces and half shells for pipe bends. We have affectionately christened it "Elvis PRESSley".
Upgrade for our press fleet
The special feature of our new press: the built-in servomotor. "Unlike conventional presses, where the pump motor runs continuously, the drive on this machine can be controlled in a targeted manner. During manual insertion, the tool remains in the top dead centre – in this phase, the servomotor is automatically switched off," explains Arne Stuckenberg, who, as production manager, knows our machinery inside out. This saves a lot of energy: With 40 kilowatts of motor power and ten hours of operation per day, we save around 200 kilowatt hours per year. With that, you could stream 40 hours of your favourite series – that's quite a lot.
Simply save energy
Using green electricity is a matter of course for us. Nevertheless, we take a close look: where can we become even more efficient? More than one percent of our turnover flows into such measures to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions every year – that equates to around 1 million euros per year.
Nothing wasted: Our powder system
Production with brains – fully automated, super efficient and really powerful. And the best thing? It not only makes great products, but energy too! In 2024, we generated around 934,000 kilowatt hours from waste heat alone – the equivalent of 130 trips around the world in an electric car. We use these directly on site: to heat our halls and for hot water.
Pretty smart, isn't it? We think so too. That’s why we are continuing to expand heat recovery – with heat exchangers, heat pumps and the idea of doing without fossil fuels altogether in the future.
Step 1: Cleaning & preparation
Before we start, we clean thoroughly: The pipes are cleaned and wet-chemically pre-treated. This creates a fine protective layer – perfect against rust and as a base for the powder.
Step 2: Powder on – almost without losses
Colour comes into play after drying: the pipe parts are coated with powder and preheated at 120°C. The excess? We siphon it off and reuse it – over 98 percent of the powder remains in circulation!
Step 3: Baking at 200 degrees
Now things are heating up: the tubes go into the oven and are baked at up to 200°C. Up to 400 parts at the same time – distributed over 20 racks with 20 products each. Everything is precisely synchronised so that the quality is always top.
Step 4: Cooled down & ready to go
After the oven, the parts go into the dryer. Then they are checked, packed and dispatched – ready for use around the globe.
Energy that doesn't spiral out of control
That's how much energy – 934,017 kilowatt hours – we generated in 2024 by utilising the waste heat from our powder plant alone
How long does it take for a JACOB pipe section to be completely coated?
More than green electricity
We consume a lot of electricity every year, and that has a noticeable impact on our environmental footprint. Since 2022, we have therefore only purchased green electricity from carbon-neutral production. In 2024, we went one step further: by changing our electricity supplier, we reinforced our commitment to a sustainable energy supply.
Energy transition meets AI
Our partner for electricity not only supplies certified green electricity with a guarantee of origin, but also a smart overall package: AI-supported electricity procurement and digital platforms for real-time energy management enable us to significantly reduce our electricity costs. Our flexible electricity model enables us to react particularly quickly to market movements and thus gain access to diversified, innovative and even more sustainable electricity products.
Particularly exciting: Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) allow us to purchase green electricity directly from regional producers and thus actively promote the expansion of sustainable energy locally. In addition, battery storage units are planned in which surplus electricity can be stored and used during grid peaks – this relieves the strain on the infrastructure and makes our energy management even more efficient.
