E.ON and METRO Cash & Carry form partnership for distributed energy solutions at wholesale sites in Germany and Russia
E.ON and METRO Cash & Carry will now work together to foster the growth of distributed energy. The two companies announced today that E.ON as a start will install technologically advanced gas-fired micro combined-heat-and-power (CHP) units at two METRO Cash & Carry wholesale stores in Germany and two in Russia. The units will heat the stores and meet a portion of their electricity needs. Depending on the size of the store, the units’ electric capacity will range from 250 to 800 kilowatts. The two companies are committed to a long-term partnership: CHP units are planned for four other METRO Cash & Carry stores in Germany and at new stores opening in Russia.
E.ON will plan, finance, install, and maintain the CHP units, and METRO Cash & Carry will operate them. The units will lower the stores’ energy costs and reduce their carbon emissions by up to 20 percent. A future option would be to supplement the on-site CHP units with solar power, which would further improve the stores' climate performance.
International retailing company METRO is working systematically to use less energy and enhance energy efficiency across its business in order to lessen the impact of energy price movements and to shrink its carbon footprint. As part of this effort, it has deployed distributed-energy solutions at several of its locations, including the METRO Cash & Carry in Schwelm in west-central Germany. An on-site micro gas turbine has been providing the hypermarket with an environmentally friendly and cost-effective supply of power and heat since 2011.
Distributed energy solutions are key technologies for the transformation of Europe’s energy system. For many applications, cogenerating power and heat (or air conditioning) at the site where they are needed is a particularly efficient and climate-friendly form of energy supply. To strategically expand this business, E.ON recently combined its expertise and international experience in distributed energy solutions, energy efficiency, and renewables in a new company called E.ON Connecting Energies. An important focus of the company's business is to serve commercial customers in Germany and other European countries that have energy-intensive facilities at several locations and would therefore be able to achieve significant savings through intelligent, custom-tailored energy solutions.