How an entrepreneur reaches his limit

Brussels, Berlin You can’t tell from the white flakes that Götz Kröner produces in Ibbenbüren how much energy it took to make them. Kröner produces starch from grain. His company consumes a lot of electricity and has already switched to green electricity. But it also consumes a lot of heat.

Because the starch comes out of the machine dissolved in water and then has to be dried. To this end, Kröner operates its own coal-fired power plant, in which he invested a good ten million euros twelve years ago. At that time coal was cheap and was considered crisis-proof, now it is becoming a burden on the balance sheet.

The example shows how political requirements can push companies to their limits – not just a few years from now, when the EU’s climate laws come into force, but now. Many companies that produce their own heat are faced with the same questions as Kröner’s strength.