Mannheim, 27.04.2015
MEP Daniel Caspary, a member of the Christian-Democratic European People’s Party, visited the Mannheim plant of Caterpillar Energy Solutions today. During the visit, the head of the German CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament learned more about energy topics associated with the pending amendment to the Act on Combined Heat and Power (CHP).
CEO Willy Schumacher and Marketing Director Thoralf Lemke gave their guest from Brussels a guided tour through the production facility at the company’s Mannheim headquarters. During the follow-up discussion, they explained the vast potential that lies in distributed power generation: “With our highly-efficient energy solutions, we are making an important contribution towards reducing CO2 emissions,” said Willy Schumacher.
Against this background, Thoralf Lemke added: “It would be devastating for the German Federal Government to veer from its objective of increasing the share of electricity generated from CHP to 25 percent by the year 2020. It would be a dangerous sign that would shake the foundations of trust in a consistent policy, and it would unsettle investors.”
Caspary was deeply impressed by the development of the plant, currently employing more than 950 people, from a traditional industrial location into a modern production facility. In his discussions, Caspary, who has a degree in Industrial Economics (University of Karlsruhe), emphasized the significance of the gas engines manufactured in Mannheim. “Caterpillar is a wonderful example of the many technologically advanced companies located in my electoral district within the Karlsruhe region. With its highly-efficient energy solutions, the company is making an important contribution towards shaping the energy mix. It is required to fulfill three decisive criteria: it has to be safe, sustainable and affordable, not only today but also in the future. That is one of the greatest tasks of my generation. Cogeneration is one of the cornerstones in this strategy.”
