Hymon has completed an energy project at the Henkel plant in Stąporków, installing a 449.82 kWp photovoltaic system and industrial heat pumps with a combined capacity of around 750 kW. The installation covers 100 percent of the plant’s electricity demand and roughly 80 percent of its heat requirements, leading to an estimated annual CO2 reduction of 474.4 tons.
The project represents a comprehensive modernisation of the plant’s energy system, spanning electricity generation from renewables, a shift in how heating circuits are supplied, and integration of new equipment with existing technical infrastructure. – Industrial energy transformation is no longer about choosing technologies but about changing the way we think about the entire energy system of a plant. In projects like Henkel, it is not about individual installations but about building coherent infrastructure that integrates energy production, use and real-time management. This approach makes it possible to effectively reduce emissions and dependence on fossil fuels – said Grzegorz Rutkowski, CEO of Hymon.
The photovoltaic system was installed on the roofs of two production halls, using 918 Jinko Solar modules. It operates in high self-consumption mode and is expected to generate around 398,683 kWh annually. After covering the plant’s own needs, including powering the heat pumps, a surplus of roughly 19 percent, about 75,750 kWh, is anticipated.
A system-wide approach to energy
The heat pump installation includes three industrial units with a total capacity of about 750 kW. The scope of work involved reinforced concrete foundations, a hydraulic system with a glycol circuit, plate heat exchangers, heat buffers and a hydraulic decoupler. The system was integrated with the existing oil-fired boiler room, enabling the new and old heat sources to operate in a single energy network.
Key challenges during implementation included installing heavy equipment, making technological connections under a plant road, working on DN200 pipelines and operating in a confined space. – For us, the key challenges before the transformation were gas and electricity prices, as well as CO2 reduction. Based on the information we had, we decided it was time to secure the company’s needs. The installation of heat pumps and photovoltaics is one of the most important investments at the Henkel plant in Stąporków and represents a major step towards sustainability for us and for our company. It helps us care for the environment and the place where we work and live – said Bronisław Fijałkowski, Operations Director at Henkel.
Cutting fossil fuel use by up to 80 percent
The applied solutions reduce the plant’s oil boiler operation by at least 70 percent and natural gas consumption by up to about 80 percent. This translates directly into lower operating costs and a significantly smaller carbon footprint. The total estimated CO2 reduction of 474.4 tons per year results from both the solar electricity generation and the displacement of conventional heat sources.
Hymon has been active in the Polish photovoltaic market since 2011 and reports over 80,000 completed installations. The company positions this project as an example of how industrial facilities can achieve deep decarbonisation through integrated energy systems rather than standalone technologies. The approach taken at Stąporków demonstrates that combining solar generation with high-efficiency heat pumps can provide a replicable model for energy-intensive industries seeking to cut emissions and stabilise energy costs.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Hymon
