GETEC, Goodyear and Stadtwerke Hanau launch joint project
- GETEC, Goodyear and Stadtwerke Hanau have marked the next important step in a pioneering project to generate renewable heat in Hanau with an official groundbreaking ceremony.
- The new biomass heating plant, with a thermal capacity of 16 MW, will fundamentally transform the process heat supply at Goodyear’s Hanau plant and is expected to reduce the site’s heat-related CO₂ emissions by up to 95 percent.
- At the same time, the facility will support Hanau’s transition to renewable heating by supplying renewable heat to the city’s district heating network. This could theoretically benefit almost 1,000 households. *
Magdeburg/Hanau, Germany, October 28, 2026 – GETEC, Goodyear and Stadtwerke Hanau have reached an important milestone in their joint energy transition project: Construction of a new biomass heating plant has begun on the premises of Goodyear’s Hanau facility. Commissioning is scheduled for mid-2028. In the future, the biomass heating plant will supply renewable process steam for tire production while also feeding renewable heat into Hanau’s district heating network.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the next step in a project designed to accelerate the decarbonization of industrial production and expand the supply of renewable heat in Hanau. The facility has been jointly developed by GETEC, Goodyear and Stadtwerke Hanau over the past two years. It will use certified regional residual wood that can no longer be used for other material applications as fuel.
Plans becoming reality
At the heart of the project is a biomass heating plant with a thermal capacity of 16 MW, capable of generating up to 24 metric tons of process steam per hour. The facility is supported by federal funding and will be operated by GETEC. In the future, it is expected to cover a significant share of Goodyear’s process heat requirements while substantially reducing emissions.
“With construction now underway, we are moving into the implementation phase of a project that we have developed intensively together with Goodyear and Stadtwerke Hanau for more than two years. It is a prime example of what can be achieved when industry, energy service providers and municipal partners combine their expertise. Here, we are creating long-term energy infrastructure that connects industrial decarbonization with a sustainable heat supply for the city,” said Dr. Guido Zimmermann, President GETEC Germany.
An important step on Goodyear’s path to decarbonization
Process steam plays a central role in tire production in Hanau. By replacing a significant share of the existing natural gas-based steam generation with renewable energy from biomass, the site’s heat-related CO₂ emissions are expected to be reduced by up to 95 percent.
The project supports Goodyear’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency across its global manufacturing network. The company’s goal is to transition its global manufacturing operations entirely to renewable energy by 2040.
“This groundbreaking ceremony is an important milestone in our commitment to increasing the use of renewable energy in our manufacturing processes,” said Katrin Rost, Managing Director of Goodyear Germany. “By significantly reducing emissions at our Hanau site, this project demonstrates how industry and local partners can work together to advance lower-emission manufacturing while creating long-term value for the region.”
Renewable heat for the city
In addition to supplying energy to the Goodyear plant, the project will also support Hanau’s transition to renewable heating. Part of the renewable heat generated by the biomass heating plant will be fed into Stadtwerke Hanau’s district heating network. The amount of heat supplied is equivalent, on a calculated basis, to the average heat demand of almost 1,000 households.*
“The heat transition succeeds above all when existing potential is intelligently connected. That is exactly what is happening here: A new energy facility for a major industrial site is simultaneously becoming part of our city’s heat supply. Our close cooperation with Goodyear and GETEC enables us to take an integrated approach to industrial energy supply and municipal district heating,” said Martina Butz, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Hanau.
A joint project for Hanau
From the city’s perspective, the project also represents the combination of industrial transformation, climate action and future-proof infrastructure.
“Hanau is a strong industrial location, and we want to combine this strength with a sustainable energy supply. The joint project by Goodyear, GETEC and our municipal utility demonstrates how transformation can work in practice at the local level: Businesses, the energy sector and the municipality are working together to create a solution that can benefit both the industrial location and the city,” said Dr. Maximilian Bieri, Mayor of Hanau.
“For years, Stadtwerke Hanau has demonstrated impressively how the energy transition can succeed at the local level. The current cooperation between our municipal utility, a long-established Hanau industrial company and an experienced project partner is another major step on our path toward a decarbonized future. The project is now entering its next phase: Construction of the biomass heating plant can begin. I am delighted about that,” said Claus Kaminsky, former Mayor of Hanau.
*Calculated comparison based on annual heat feed-in of approximately 15,000 MWh and the average energy consumption of German private households for space heating and hot water in 2024. Source: German Environment Agency (UBA), based on data from the Working Group on Energy Balances (AGEB).
About GETEC
GETEC is a leading specialist for reliable, decarbonised energy and infrastructure solutions in Europe. With more than 3,100 dedicated employees at around 50 locations, we leverage our engineering, regulatory, and sustainability expertise to help our industrial and real estate customers navigate the complexities of the modern energy landscape while reducing their carbon footprint. Operating over 11,000 plants, the company has a broad decarbonising technology offering. GETEC develops, finances, and runs critical energy infrastructure and industrial parks in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Benelux, Austria, Poland, Spain and Portugal.
