2 April 2025
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) has achieved its climate targets earlier than planned: in 2024, CO₂ emissions were already 68 percent lower than in 1990. This corresponds to a saving of around 82,200 tonnes of CO₂. Originally, a reduction of 65 percent by 2030 was planned. FZJ has thus not only exceeded its own targets, but also the national climate protection goals. The aim is to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
This success was made possible by a variety of measures, most notably the commissioning of the new thermal energy centre in April 2023. "This alone enabled us to reduce CO₂ emissions by almost 20 percent compared to 2022, saving around 12,500 tonnes of CO₂ per year," explains Kai Deuster, Head of Building and Engineering Services.
Further progress has been achieved through energy-efficient renovations, the switch to green electricity from 2024 for the electricity not generated by the combined heat and power plants, and numerous efficiency measures. "Many roofs and windows have also been modernised to make them more energy efficient," reports Jens Kuchenbecker, Head of Technical Infrastructure.
Lessons learned from the crisis
In addition, numerous energy-saving improvements were introduced during the 2022/2023 energy crisis. "The savings in the building sector have remained remarkably constant. Electricity consumption here fell permanently by 15 percent, and heating consumption by 10 percent," says Kai Deuster.
As a result, the savings today still amount to around 1,800 tonnes less CO₂ per year. Further measures with a savings potential of up to 3,400 tonnes are currently being planned or implemented.
Using waste heat from supercomputers
JUPITER, the first European exascale supercomputer, which will soon be going into operation at Forschungszentrum Jülich, also plays an important role in this context. As part of the ExaHeat project, waste heat from the computer will be used to generate heat from 2028. "That will save 5,000 tonnes of CO₂ in the first stage of expansion," says Jens Kuchenbecker.
A low-temperature network is also to be completed this year, supplying eight buildings with waste heat from the existing JUWELS supercomputer. The heat pumps for raising the temperature are currently being put into operation step by step. The annual savings potential here is 700 tonnes of CO₂.
Path to climate neutrality by 2045
Smaller but continuous steps also contribute to the goal: a climate-neutral building, which is to be completed by the end of 2025, will save a further 200 tonnes of CO₂. The initiative "Living Lab Energy Campus," a real-world laboratory for future energy systems, is also making a contribution. The expansion of photovoltaic systems on the Jülich campus is already saving around 200 tonnes of CO₂ per year - despite limited space and technical challenges on the site.
To ensure that the long-term goal of climate neutrality in 2045 is achieved, Forschungszentrum Jülich is relying on a mix of measures, continuous improvements, and technological developments. With the help of a new integrated energy management system, which will be certified in 2025, energy consumption is to be reduced by two percent annually.
This process is supported by the newly established energy team, which is part of the new system and identifies cross-departmental potential savings, as well as by Energy Scouts in the institutes. "We don't want to restrict research, but rather use energy more efficiently, moving away from the 'more is better' approach to one of 'as much as necessary'," explains Kai Deuster.
