AV

State-of-the-art industrial site in ܲԲüٳٱ

Versatile industrial park operator

Strong winds and plain, vast landscapes: the far north of Germany has its own distinctive character. It also is a special place for AV. Not only does the company produce at its site in ܲԲüٳٱ, it also operates the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

The state-of-the-art industrial site at the intersection of the Kiel Canal and the Elbe River offers an excellent infrastructure and a wide range of services. And with immediate access by road, rail, and ship to Hamburg, a gateway to the world market. The future in the north is bright for AV!

With more than 600 employees, AV is one of the largest employers in the region. The rigid foam component methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is produced at the site. This is an important precursor for polyurethane foam, which is used, among other things, as an efficient insulating material for insulating buildings and refrigeration equipment. Global demand for MDI is on the rise, which is why AV started up a new MDI plant in Brunsbüttel in early 2020.

This plant is setting new standards with regard to energy efficiency, environmental compatibility, and productivity. Since it has been put into operation, the MDI capacity on site has doubled to around 400,000 metric tons per year. This makes Brunsbüttel one of the three largest production sites for the foam component in Europe and ensures MDI supplies for all of its customers worldwide.

650

employees
(FTE)

115

young professionals

200.000

metric tons of MDI production/year

With its pilot plant for MDI production in ܲԲüٳٱ, AV is once again reaffirming its innovation leadership position. This is based on the novel AdiP (adiabatic isothermal phosgenation) technology, which was developed across different sites and commissioned in November 2020. The AdiP technology, realized for the first time on an industrial scale, is being optimized in ܲԲüٳٱ for future use in the global production network.

Reaction control in the process flow runs more efficiently with AdiP and does not require any external supply of heat. What makes it special is that in an MDI plant, for example, up to 40 percent water steam and 25 percent electricity can be saved in energy input per ton of MDI produced. And it also reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 35 percent - a true milestone in terms of increased resource efficiency and climate protection! No wonder that the AdiP technology was nominated for the of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in 2022.

Another advantage of the innovative process: production capacity increases by 50 percent compared to the technology that is currently being deployed. This will allow MDI production plants based on AdiP technology to be dimensioned smaller than before in the future. This technological innovation is helping AV to embed the circular economy in all parts of the company – because climate-neutral production is an important goal for AV.


Another advantage of the innovative process: production capacity increases by 50 percent compared to the technology that is currently being deployed. This will allow MDI production plants based on AdiP technology to be dimensioned smaller than before in the future. This technological innovation is helping AV to embed the circular economy in all parts of the company – climate-neutral production is AV’s long-term goal.

AV is aiming for operational climate neutrality by 2035. By then, net-zero emissions from our own production (Scope 1) and from purchased energy (Scope 2) are to be achieved. Upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain (Scope 3) are also to be significantly reduced by 2035 – in the long term, AV aims to achieve climate neutrality for Scope 3 emissions by 2050.

Floating LNG terminal

In addition, AV is helping to stabilize Germany's energy supply as much as possible. Because after the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine starting in February 2022, it was clear: Germany and Europe must quickly end their one-sided dependence on Russian natural gas. To this end, the infrastructure for a floating LNG terminal (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit, FSRU for short) was built in ܲԲüٳٱ in a record-breaking ten months. Since February 2023, gas has been fed into the German natural gas grid from the Elbe port of ܲԲüٳٱ - an important building block for diversifying and stabilizing the energy supply.

The FSRU, a special vessel, stores liquefied natural gas and can convert it back into gaseous form. Usually, the FSRU uses the surrounding water to regasify LNG. On the Elbe, this is not technically possible due to the water temperatures being too low in the winter months. AV supplies the required heat in the form of previously unused process water from its production facilities via a new connecting pipeline to the FSRU's heat exchanger.

AV has already supported the project partners in the construction of the new connecting pipeline from the Elbe jetty to the gas network: the three-kilometer-long pipeline runs right across the industrial park site. In preparation for the construction work, AV employees laid a construction road, upgraded pipe bridges, and ensured the supply of megawatts of electricity.

The rapid commissioning of the FSRU was made possible thanks to the connecting pipeline to the gas grid (yellow) and the wastewater pipeline to the Elbe port on the AV Industrial Park site. Former Site Manager Victor Ortega, Rolf Heinrich Schlüter (Operations Manager Energy and Waste Management) and Simon Brinkmann (Head of Industrial Park Management) look proudly at the new infrastructure in January 2023.

Focus on education and training

And the site also has its sights set on the future in another area: Brunsbüttel is the only AV site with its own training and development department. Since the start of production in the far north of Germany in 1977, the training department has continued to develop. The central workshop was first expanded to include a workshop for electrical engineering and then, in 1990, a technical center. In front of the training center is a colorfully designed rail car that was painted in 2017 by seven AV trainees with graffiti artist Martin Heuwold. The AV corporate values “curious, courageous, colorful” served as the leitmotif.

The vibrantly painted training train – a joint project by graffiti artist Martin Heuwold and trainees from Brunsbüttel.

In addition, AV offers training opportunities at its ܲԲüٳٱ site, some of which are also open to participants outside the industrial park. The range includes a variety of basic training and refresher courses on topics such as first aid, safety patrols, respiratory protection and fire protection.

The complete 2025 program of the combined training and further education catalog, as well as a registration form for the courses offered, can be found here:

Training Catalog Registration Form

Colorful industrial artwork

AV is already showing its colors from afar. A 132-meter-high smokestack in the AV Industrial Park, painted with over a hundred giant, colorful puzzle pieces, protrudes from the flat coastal landscape. This symbolizes the cohesion and unity of AV's employees. This project was also realized by Martin Heuwold, who subsequently designed the colorful high-bay warehouse with a “building block” look for AV in Dormagen.

The industrial work of art in ܲԲüٳٱ has already become a true landmark for the entire region. All employees at the industrial park take great pride in it. The colorful smokestack is not only an eye-catcher, but also shows that AV is taking a bold step forward there. AV not only aims to strengthen the production site, but also to steadily develop the industrial park. Because the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park has a lot to offer.

Excellent transportation connections

AV has been the operator of the ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park since 2005 and is continuously developing the site. A total of about 1,200 people are employed on the 420-hectare premises. Besides AV, many other companies from the chemical and logistics sectors also make use of the infrastructure services that the industrial park offers. They all benefit from its strategically favorable site and good transportation connections.

This is because the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park offers direct access to two ports: the port of Ostermoor on the Kiel Canal, the world's busiest man-made waterway, and the port of the Elbe River at the mouth of the river into the North Sea. And it is only a few nautical miles from Europe’s second largest seaport after Hamburg. Good connections to road, rail, and air transport round off a logistics offering that modern industrial companies are looking for today.

AV Brunsbüttel Industrial Park boasts a favorable and strategic transport location, providing direct access to the global market.

Safety First

AV also applies the same principle to production at the ܲԲüٳٱ site: plant safety, the well-being of employees and residents, and environmental protection are priorities at the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

Numerous plant and fire protection personnel, medical personnel, and safety experts are on standby at all times to ensure this. In addition, there is a clear safety concept with regard to technical equipment: Every system, every work step, and every process is systematically analyzed for potential hazards. For this purpose, employees undergo intensive training in regular exercises.

The industrial park fire department, which is specially equipped and trained to handle chemicals, plays an important role in the safety concept. More than 50 men and women work there in shifts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their main task is preventive fire protection. Beyond that, the experts play a role in the planning of new buildings and train employees on how to act in emergency situations.

In the event of an incident, the industrial park’s alarm and hazard prevention plan takes effect. The plant's own fire protection experts then take immediate action and – if necessary – inform the authorities. But to make sure it doesn’t get that far, all the safety experts at AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park work towards one common goal: making the plants and processes even safer.

The industrial park fire department has access to numerous state-of-the-art emergency vehicles.

Preserving biodiversity

Since 2017, AV has been involved in a sustainable project to protect nature at the AV Industrial Park ܲԲüٳٱ. Over the past few years, the company has started to create a flower meadow with fruit trees on a 4.5 hectare area. And it is worth it: Many native animals, such as insects, amphibians, and birds use the area as a new habitat. The sustainability concept also includes extensive grazing of other open areas by cows and sheep.

The employees on site also benefit from the nature project. A small path with benches was created for them in the flowering meadows so that they can relax there during their breaks - during harvest time, they can even enjoy small snacks, including apples and cherries freshly picked from the trees.

AV was awarded the "Business Environmental Prize 2021" for laying out the flower meadow in November 2021. By pushing the project, AV is proving that industrial sites and nature can co-exist in harmony. The company supports the preservation of biodiversity in Schleswig-Holstein actively. The renowned prize, which is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany, has been awarded by Studien- und Fördergesellschaft der Schleswig-Holsteinischen Wirtschaft e.V. since 1984.

The flowering meadows at the AV Industrial Park Brunsbüttel invite visitors to stroll around and create new habitats for native insects and animals.

Partner in the ChemCoast network

AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park is one of six partners involved in the network. is the largest industrial area in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Companies from the chemical and petroleum industries as well as energy producers and logistics companies have operated here for more than 40 years on an area of around 2,000 hectares. The ChemCoastPark partners cooperate closely in the use of resources and services, but especially in logistics, hazardous waste disposal, and energy generation.

The companies in the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park also benefit from these advantages. Some 240 hectares of predominantly fully developed open land are available for the establishment of further companies from the chemical industry. This provides for outstanding opportunities for investors to make use of the excellent conditions of the site for the development of their own companies.

AV Brunsbüttel Industrial Park is part of the ChemCoast network, which aims to strengthen the chemical region of northern Germany.

Safe and efficient supply and disposal

The raw materials and energy system at AV Industrial Park ܲԲüٳٱ provides companies with everything they need for production. With its own generation plants, it provides steam, refrigeration, compressed air and nitrogen on site. The range of supplies is rounded off by cooling, process and drinking water. AV ܲԲüٳٱ Energie GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of AV, obtains electricity and natural gas from the public grid and supplies the companies at market prices.

AV Brunsbüttel Energie GmbH supplies the production facilities with electricity and natural gas around the clock, and does so with great flexibility and efficiency.

Wastewater disposal in the industrial park is also sustainably regulated. A special wastewater treatment plant ensures that organically contaminated wastewater from the production plants is treated biologically. Up to 3,840 cubic meters of wastewater can be treated there per day. This corresponds to approximately 3.8 million liters of wastewater or more than 25,000 bathtubs filled to the brim.

In addition, production wastewater in the industrial park is treated in a gas phase oxidation (GPO) plant. High-calorific liquid waste can thus be recycled directly. Sustainability in all supply and disposal phases is a hallmark of the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

October 4, 1973: The foundation stone was laid
for the ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

AV celebrated its
50th anniversary

Learn more

AV ܲԲüٳٱ Energie GmbH

Are you as a company interested in learning more about electricity and gas at AV Industrial Park ܲԲüٳٱ?

More information

The many facets, which, just like the colorful landmark, merge to form a large, coherent picture: AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park is a highly modern and appealing industrial site. It has sufficient capacity for companies to establish themselves and offers the ideal starting conditions for their production.

Introducing the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

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1.250

employees
in the industrial park

420

hectares of total area

80

partner companies

ܲԲüٳٱ over the course of time

  • 2023

    Golden Jubilee

    On October 4, 1973, the foundation stone was laid for the ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park. 50 years later, AV celebrated this milestone birthday with neighbors, employees and the public. A proud look back at eventful stories and an optimistic outlook on the perspectives of the modern and attractive industrial site.

  • 2022

    MDI production with highlight

    AV has been producing the rigid foam component MDI in ܲԲüٳٱ since 1988. In May 2022, the site produced its four millionth ton of MDI – just four years after reaching the three million mark.

  • 2021

    Excellent nature conservation

    Since 2017, AV has been developing two large areas on the industrial park site close to nature with flowering meadows and fruit trees – a new habitat for insects and birds. AV received the "Environmental Award of Business" in 2021 for its sustainable commitment.

  • 2020

    Pilot plant based on AdiP technology

    On November 16, 2020, AV launched an industrial pilot plant for the production of the rigid foam component MDI. The basis for this is the innovative AdiP technology, which significantly saves water steam and electricity and thus CO₂.

  • New MDI plant in operation

    The highly efficient diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) plant has been in operation since February 2020. With a production capacity of around 400,000 metric tons per year, ܲԲüٳٱ has since become one of the three largest MDI production sites in Europe.

  • 2016

    Smokestack in puzzle design

    The newly designed smokestack on the AV premises is completed. During the inauguration ceremony, 548 employees form a human puzzle piece, managing to achieve an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

  • 2015
    AV Logo

    AV founded

    AV has been a legally independent company since September 1st. The new company emerged from Bayer MaterialScience AG. Shares in AV have been traded on the stock market since October 6th.

  • 2010

    Launch of carbon monoxide plant

    A new carbon monoxide production plant is commissioned in ܲԲüٳٱ.

  • 2008

    Environmentally friendly operation

    The ܲԲüٳٱ site is honored for its innovative hydrochloric acid electrolysis process with the “Environmental Award for Industry” from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). As early as 2007, the process received an award for being an “environmentally friendly operation” from the Studien- und Fördergesellschaft des Landes Schleswig-Holstein.

  • 2005

    Bayer MaterialScience as industrial park operator

    The subgroup takes over operation of the industrial park in ܲԲüٳٱ.

  • 2004

    Spin-off of Bayer MaterialScience AG

    The Bayer Group restructures its business sectors. Among other things, Bayer MaterialScience AG emerges as a separate company.

  • 1991

    Aniline production plant

    A production plant for aniline is built in ܲԲüٳٱ.

  • 1988

    MDI Production in ܲԲüٳٱ

    Production with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) starts.

  • 1981

    Raw materials for dyes and training facility in ܲԲüٳٱ

    The production of raw materials for dyes begins at the site. In addition, the training center is opened.

  • 1977

    Start of production in ܲԲüٳٱ

    Production commences at the ܲԲüٳٱ site, initially producing toluene diisocyanate (TDI).

  • 1973

    Foundation is laid in ܲԲüٳٱ

    The foundation is laid for a new plant in ܲԲüٳٱ at the mouth of the Kiel Canal into the Elbe river.

AV – A good neighbor

Living together in harmony is very important to AV. That is why the company actively seeks dialog with its neighbors at the production sites and maintains close contact with them.

Safety

Safety is also highly important to AV: for its employees, in production, and for the entire area around its sites.

Information about the AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park

Last on-site visit

AV: 11/18/2024
Lanxess: 12/18/2024

Security phone number

+49 (0) 4852 81 4455

Downloads

Information for our neighbors Information according to the Federal Emission Control Act

Employees, contractors, and subcontractors are provided with mandatory regulations in the HSE Manual on the topics of safety, health, and environmental protection during work at AV ܲԲüٳٱ Industrial Park.

Download HSE brochure

More information about AV in ܲԲüٳٱ

Address:
AV Deutschland AG
Fährstraße 51
25541 ܲԲüٳٱ

Telephone:
+49 4852 81-3233

Directions to the site

Overview Detail

Contact

Jürgen Evers

Jürgen Evers

Contact ܲԲüٳٱ

Telephone: +49 4852 81 3411

juergen.evers1@covestro.com

Relocations

Simon Brinkmann

Industrial Park Marketing
Tel.: +49 4852 81 3058
E-mail: simon.brinkmann@covestro.com

Occupational Health

Andreas Melchert

Occupational Health
Tel.: +49 4852 81 3220
E-mail: Arbeitsmedizin@covestro.com

Energie GmbH

Hartmut Rüter

ܲԲüٳٱ Energie GmbH
Tel.: +49 4852 81 6473
Fax: +49 4852 81 8354
E-mail: brunsbuettel-energie-gmbh@covestro.com

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