20 years of e-save

Over 15 million tons of CO₂ savings in 20 years – that is the balance sheet of e-save – the sustainability program of today's Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. As one of the world's leading suppliers of manmade fiber plant technologies, the company has been developing, producing and launching its products and services with sustainability in mind since 2004: 'Energy' savings and 'Efficiency' of systems, machines and components, 'Environment' relief and improved 'Ergonomics' for optimal machine operation are the four e-save topics that have provided fiber and yarn manufacturers with significant added value in terms of economy, safety and process handling right from the start. The pioneers of today's brands Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven were already true pioneers in terms of sustainability.

Rising energy prices, scarce resources, an ageing society, a shortage of skilled workers and lower profit margins in many industries prove Oerlikon's e-save mission right. For 20 years, the technology leader in manmade fiber production has been scoring points with significantly lower energy consumption compared to the market standard, the competition or its own predecessor models. Fiber and yarn manufacturers around the world appreciate this, as investments in new systems developed according to e-save criteria pay for themselves in a much shorter time. “Topics such as energy efficiency and the careful use of resources have become increasingly important for all our customers in recent years, not least due to stricter legal framework conditions,” says Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division. “Our e-save sustainability program and the associated technology development over the last two decades has often given us the decisive advantage in numerous investment decisions on the customer side and thus the edge over the competition.”

Over 15 million tons of CO₂ saved since the introduction of e-save
The Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division and its business units have been subject to DIN ISO certification for decades, they realize the CE marking and consistently implement the strict guidelines for machine safety, especially in terms of protecting employees on the customer side. At the beginning of the millennium, however, this was no longer enough. The company and its managers wanted to voluntarily do even more with a view to the future. As a result, the e-save program was launched in 2004.

Since its introduction, hundreds of manmade fiber spinning mills worldwide have been equipped with technology solutions from Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven. Around half of the currently installed production capacity for polyester, polypropylene and nylon is based on Oerlikon technologies. According to an estimate by the publication “TheFiberYear 2024”, this corresponds to almost 40 million tons of fibers and yarn annually. The corresponding CO₂ balance is impressive: The e-save certified customer installations saved, cumulatively over the last 20 years, over 15 million tons of CO₂. This is roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by around 15 million intercontinental passenger flights per capita, or the amount that a forest with a surface area of 300 km² – roughly the size of Munich, Germany – can store.

On top: bluesign® certification
A good 20 years after the introduction of the e-save label as a voluntary commitment by Oerlikon, the company is following suit and is also subjecting itself to the assessment of independent institutes such as the Swiss bluesign Technologies AG as part of the ESG criteria that have been legally binding for a few years now.

Last year, the Oerlikon Neumag EvoSteam staple fiber plant was awarded the bluesign® VERIFIED DATA label. The label includes the verification of impact data such as water, spinning preparations, thermal and electrical energy as well as the CO₂ footprint by means of a plausibility check of the supporting records for the EvoSteam draw frame, the central element in the EvoSteam process. For yarn manufacturers, this means that all polyester staple fibers produced with the EvoSteam process will actively contribute to the bluesign® SYSTEM in the future.

“The trend towards greater sustainability is no longer just a trend, but a must for the industry and all market participants worldwide. With a view to the European Green Deal, we are creating even more transparency for our customers through external certifications such as bluesign® in addition to our own e-save label. In this way, we are intensively strengthening trust in all our products and services,” explains Georg Stausberg, who in addition to his role as Division CEO is also Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of the Swiss Oerlikon Group