Modellfabrik Papier appointed anchor project for the Rhenish mining area

The Modellfabrik Papier is pioneering transformational change the region

In just under six years, it will all be over. That’s when the excavators in Europe’s largest lignite mining region are to be finally shut down. The region‘s profound change as a result oft he German government’s decision to phase out coal is already under way. 19 anchor projects have been selected by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the region that are pioneering transition to climate neutrality – and the Modellfabrik Papier is one of these showcases. They were chosen out of almost 180 projects that are driving structural change in the region.

“The anchor projects were selected based on the thematic key areas of the structural transformation,” explains Mona Neubaur, Northrhine-Westfalia‘s Minister for Economics Industry, Climate Protection and Energy, at the on-site visit. They “provide structural momentum, are particularly ambitious in terms of content and design, and have a radiating effect beyond the region”.

Showcases of transformation

The selected projects are as diverse as the underlying approaches. Apart from the Modellfabrik Papier, the showcases include the inter-municipal Brainergy Park, which is attracting academia, companies and start-ups from the green economy to Jülich, and the Modellregion Bioökonomie (model region for bio-ecoconomy), under whose umbrella new bio-based and recyclable products for various applications are being developed.  This also includes the establishment of the FaserInnovationsZentrum (fiber innovation center), which develops alternative fiber raw materials from sustainable agricultural production and biogenic waste for the fiber-processing industries.

Paper production meeting the needs of tomorrow

It is not without reason that the Modellfabrik Papier is located in Düren in the Rhenish mining region. The production of paper, cardboard and hygiene paper has a long history here. Alongside mechanical engineering, textile and chemical industries, it is one of the industrial sectors with the highest energy consumption. Rising costs are putting companies under pressure. In order to secure the long-term future of production sites with thousands of jobs and to remain competitive on the global market, new innovative approaches are needed.

“Companies are doing a lot to reduce their energy consumption,” explains Peter Bekaert in an interview with the WDR magazine westpol. “In the Modellfabrik Papier, we bring together companies, research and adademia to enable climate-neutral paper production in the future.” The goal is to save 80 percent of the energy previously required and to reuse resources more intensively in the cycle.

To this end, the Modellfabrik Papier is getting its own research building. “It will be the first construction in the new innovation quarter close to Düren station,” explains Thomas Hissel, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Düren and CEO of WIN.DN GmbH, in an interview with WDR. The Dürener Wirtschaftsförderung (Düren Economic Development Agency) and the construction company IQ.DN are principal developers of the construction project.