Chris Liebold
ThEENErfurt, June 18, 2026: Climate-neutral production is no longer a topic for the future; it can already be economically planned and implemented today. This is demonstrated by the results of the Thuringian collaborative projects ZO.RRO II KMU and ZO.RRO 2 for Glass Industry, presented at today’s closing conference at the Erfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) before an audience of approximately 100 participants from business, research, and politics.
Since 2019, partners from academia and industry have been developing solutions for a climate-neutral, secure, and economically viable energy supply as part of the “ZO.RRO – Zero Carbon Cross Energy System” energy project consortium, with funding from the federal and state governments. The focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises as well as energy-intensive industries such as glass, metals, chemicals, ceramics, mechanical engineering, and electronics.
“The project’s results provide important impetus for Thuringia and beyond,” emphasizes Thuringia’s Energy Minister Tilo Kummer. “Improved energy efficiency and an energy supply that is as resilient to crises and affordable as possible represent an opportunity for the regional economy. Those who strategically restructure their energy supply can reduce costs, become less dependent on price fluctuations, and thereby secure business locations and jobs.”
A key finding of the project is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the decarbonization of industrial sites. Instead, companies need tailored transformation paths that take into account technical possibilities, investment costs, production processes, and energy requirements. Digital tools were developed specifically for this purpose as part of the project—ranging from baseline analyses and simulations to concrete implementation planning.
Among other things, energy system simulations and AI-supported analysis tools were used. They help companies make fact-based investment decisions, control facilities efficiently, and better align energy supply with production.
ZO.RRO also provides important insights beyond individual companies: Using energy system modeling, Nordhausen Universityof Applied Sciences developed a powerful open-source tool that allows not only company sites but also entire regions—such as the Free State of Thuringia—to calculate scenarios for future energy supply. “This creates a fact-based foundation for business decisions that can be validated through parameter variations across different scenarios,” said Professor Viktor Wesselak of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.
As part of the state-funded ZO.RRO II KMU project, supported by the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Nature Conservation, and Forestry, the Thuringian Renewable Energy Network (ThEEN) e.V. also examined companies from several Thuringian industrial sectors. Across the board, the findings showed that the consistent expansion of renewable energy—particularly photovoltaics—the targeted use of storage systems, flexible production processes, and intelligent energy management offer significant economic potential. Another key cost-saving lever is the decarbonization of heat supply. Heat pumps often prove to be a particularly efficient solution in this regard. A robust data foundation is crucial: measurement technology and continuous energy monitoring reveal potential savings and form the basis for well-informed investment decisions.
To provide concrete support for companies, ThEEN has published the concise results brochure “Lower Energy Costs. Secure the Future.” This brochure provides SMEs with practical guidance on how to systematically pursue the path to climate-neutral production—from analyzing energy consumption to developing a long-term implementation strategy. The brochure is available for free download.
In the federal project ZO.RRO 2—Zero Carbon Cross Energy System for the Glass Industry, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and led by a consortium headed by the TU Ilmenau, solutions were developed specifically for the glass and metalworking industries. Through the investigation of fully electric glass melting processes, the development of energy-oriented production planning methods, energy-based digital twins, and new AC/DC power supply concepts, it was demonstrated how energy-intensive production processes can be made more efficient, flexible, and resilient. This work was complemented by AI-supported analysis tools as well as BSI-compliant measurement and control technologies for future industrial energy systems.
“ZO.RRO 2 demonstrated that the electrification of energy-intensive industrial processes is technically feasible when energy supply, production planning, and grid infrastructure are considered together,” summarizes Professor Dirk Westermann of the Thuringian Energy Research Institute at the TU Ilmenau. “Through digital twins, energy-optimized production planning, and high-resolution measurement and control systems, additional efficiency potentials were identified. At the same time, the results show that direct current technologies and resilient supply concepts can be important building blocks for the future energy supply of energy-intensive industries such as the glass industry.”
The conclusion after seven years of energy research within the ZO.RRO consortium is clear. A climate-neutral industry is feasible and can be economically viable. ZO.RRO provides concrete tools, practical examples, and a blueprint for the transformation of industrial energy supply far beyond Thuringia.
Tom Wetzling
Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Nature Conservation
+49 361 57-3911930
tom.wetzling@tmuenf.thueringen.de
Maria Siegl
ThEEN e.V.
+49 361 663 82 286
maria.siegl@theen-ev.de
ZO.RRO II is a Thuringian energy research project that examines the transformation of our energy system. Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the Thuringian Renewable Energy Network (ThEEN) e.V. aim to demonstrate the decarbonization of energy supply in Thuringian industrial companies. A key tool in this effort is energy system modeling based on open-source software. This approach was used to calculate transformation pathways for the entire state of Thuringia within a model, providing an important scientific foundation for the energy policy discussion in the state. Using a further development of the energy system modeling—the Z.ENO Tool—transition pathways are also being calculated for small and medium-sized Thuringian manufacturing companies (SMEs), with various industries being considered. ZO.RRO II is funded by the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Nature Conservation, and Forestry from January 1, 2022, through July 1, 2026.
Using the Thuringian glass industry as a case study, ZO.RRO 2 investigated the transformation of energy-intensive industrial processes toward a climate-neutral and, at the same time, highly reliable energy supply. The project developed and practically tested solutions for the electrification of glass melting, energy-oriented production planning, energy digital twins, AC/DC supply concepts, and intelligent measurement and control systems. The results show that the decarbonization of energy-intensive industries requires an integrated approach that considers production, energy supply, and grid infrastructure. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (grant number 03EI4073A-F).