Groundbreaking in Hamburg: tesa and ENERGYNEST begin construction of large-scale power-to-heat project

• Industrial process heat from electricity: From summer 2027, the system is expected to cover around two-thirds of the annual steam demand at tesa's Hamburg plant
• 40 MWh thermal energy storage: The 24 thermal storage modules are being cast close to the installation site for the first time in Germany
• Lower CO₂ emissions at tesa: The plant is expected to reduce emissions at the Hamburg site by around 4,600 tonnes per year

 

Hamburg, October 20, 2026 – tesa, an international manufacturer of innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, and ENERGYNEST, a provider of industrial power-to-heat and energy storage solutions, have reached the next milestone in the electrification of process heat at tesa's Hamburg plant. The groundbreaking marks the start of construction of the power-to-heat system with integrated thermal energy storage announced in January 2026.

tesa's Hamburg plant manufactures high-performance adhesive tapes for the electronics, automotive, printing and paper industries. Drying processes and solvent recovery require substantial amounts of process heat and steam, which have so far been generated predominantly using fossil fuels.

An existing building on the plant premises was previously demolished to make way for the new energy infrastructure. From summer 2027, the system is expected to cover around two-thirds of the site's annual steam demand.

"Our customers depend on high-performance adhesive solutions, and we take responsibility for how those products are manufactured. For us, that also means making our energy supply more sustainable. Together with ENERGYNEST, we are investing in the future of our Hamburg plant and implementing a technical solution designed to replace fossil fuels and measurably reduce our emissions," says Hendrik Hundoegger, Plant Manager at tesa Hamburg.

The system combines a 10 MW electric heater with a 40 MWh thermal energy storage system comprising 24 storage modules. Once operational, it is expected to cover around two-thirds of the site's annual steam demand and reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 4,600 metric tons per year.

 

Storage material cast close to the installation site for the first time

Close to the tesa plant, ENERGYNEST's high-performance thermal concrete, HEATCRETE®, is being casted into the heat exchange elements. This is the final step in manufacturing ENERGYNEST's proprietary thermal energy storage modules.

Previously, ENERGYNEST's storage modules were cast in Rotterdam before being transported to their respective project sites. For the tesa project, ENERGYNEST is relocating this stage of the manufacturing process close to the final installation site for the first time in Germany.

Manufacturing closer to the installation site reduces transportation costs for the heavy storage modules while establishing a model for future projects. By moving this stage of production closer to where the modules will ultimately be installed, ENERGYNEST can adapt its delivery approach to project size, location and regional supply chains.

"If we want to scale the electrification of industrial process heat, we also need to improve how the necessary infrastructure is manufactured and delivered. This approach simplifies logistics, reduces transportation costs and gives us greater flexibility in delivering future projects across Germany and Europe," says Dr. Christopher Greiner, Chief Technology Officer at ENERGYNEST.

 

Flexible process heat from renewable electricity

The power-to-heat system converts electricity into high-temperature heat, stores it and uses it on demand to generate process steam. Electricity demand is met through locally generated renewable power, supplemented by renewable electricity purchased from the market when economically attractive conditions are available. At the same time, thermal energy storage ensures a reliable supply of process steam.

The system is expected to cover around two-thirds of the Hamburg plant's annual steam demand. tesa anticipates a reduction in CO₂ emissions of approximately 4,600 metric tons per year, equivalent to around 20% of site-related emissions compared with the 2018 baseline.

The project forms part of tesa's sustainability strategy and serves as a reference for the electrification of industrial process heat. Combining power-to-heat with thermal energy storage enables energy-intensive companies to reduce energy costs while replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.

The project supports tesa's "we do" sustainability strategy and its goal of achieving climate-neutral production by 2030. This includes a 90% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared with the 2018 baseline, with the remaining 10% of unavoidable emissions to be offset in the target year.

The system is one component of a comprehensive transformation programme for tesa's Hamburg plant, which received the dena Energy Efficiency Award. The transformation is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs’ Carbon Contracts for Difference program (formerly known as Climate Protection Contracts) and local funding from IFB Hamburg. Detailed information on the climate targets, the independently verified action plan and annual progress is available in the Beiersdorf Climate Transition Plan (opens in a new window or tab) and the company's annual Non-Financial Statement (opens in a new window or tab).