Press release

Munich, April 27, 2021 – MTU Aero Engines AG is planning to make operations at its production site in Munich, which is also the company headquarters, climate neutral by late 2021. To this end, the company has launched an initiative aimed at a gradual 60 percent decrease in CO₂ emissions by 2030—relative to its 41,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions in the baseline year of 2019. The company will achieve this reduction through sustainable operational measures, offsetting unavoidable emissions that remain with high-quality carbon offset certificates.

“It’s MTU’s duty to society to play its part in delivering effective climate action,” says Lars Wagner, Chief Operating Officer and manager of the Munich site. “We are committed to the Paris Agreement and want to make our own contribution to limiting the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere relative to the pre-industrial baseline. Accordingly, we’re aligning our Munich site with the target of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees.”

In line with its ecoRoadmap initiative, the operational measures MTU is taking are based on three key elements: a fundamental reduction in consumption, improved energy efficiency, and the use of high-quality, emissions-free energy, such as green electricity and biogas—including obtaining a defined share of energy from new systems and disclosing the plants from which it obtains its energy. The company is also seizing opportunities to produce power in-house wherever possible. For example, a photovoltaic system is set to be commissioned in late June. MTU is also exploring the possibility of using of deep geothermal energy as a source of heat.

In the coming weeks, the company will adopt specific measures to improve efficiency at its Munich location. “We have a wide range of options to choose from. These relate to energy management at our site, machine and plant efficiency, building technology and areas of purchasing and logistics,” Wagner says.

In addition to reporting direct and indirect emissions from on-site operations, MTU plans to calculate the relevant indirect emissions from upstream and downstream activities and incorporate these into its overall calculations. Examples of the latter include emissions from employee mobility, business trips and logistics at the Munich site. Based on this comprehensive overview of all local sources of greenhouse gas and by opting for high-quality and wherever possible regional offsets, MTU expects to achieve climate neutrality later this year.

MTU has been committed to environmental protection and climate action for many years. In 2017, for instance, it commissioned a biomethane-powered cogeneration plant at its site in Munich. A photovoltaic system is due to go into operation there in late June 2021: solar panels covering an area of almost 1,300 square meters have been installed on the roof of a production facility at the site. The system will supply the MTU grid with 240,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.

MTU is building on its own expertise and working with outside companies to promote sustainability issues through its engagement in cross-company partnerships, which include the Munich Business Climate Pact, the Energy Efficiency Network for Munich and Upper Bavaria and the recently launched dekarbN network. Funding for the latter is provided by the German government as part of its National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency.

“For us, sustainability has long been a strategic success factor and driver of efficiency and innovation in our product development,” Wagner says. “Thanks to the fuel-efficient and quiet geared turbofan, MTU—in partnership with Pratt & Whitney—was an early pioneer of sustainable aviation. Sustainable, renewable fuels will also come to play a major part. As we pave the way for emissions-free flight, we’re focusing our attention on hydrogen concepts and flying fuel cells.” By taking a holistic approach, MTU places climate action at the center of its site operations and product stewardship. A decision on the launch of similar projects at the company’s other German locations and international sites will follow in the near future