SLR Group GmbH commissions local heating system at St. Leon-Rot site

• Local heating system connects foundry with heat generation at KS Gleitlager GmbH
• Reduction of CO₂ emissions by 800 tons annually at the partner’s premises
• SLR is successfully advancing sustainability initiatives with a focus on CO₂ footprint reduction and switching to renewable energy sources  

St. Leon-Rot, December 2, 2024 – SLR Group GmbH, a leading supplier of high-quality spheroidal graphite cast iron components, has put into operation a local heating system at its St. Leon-Rot site. The respective cooperation agreement with KS Gleitlager GmbH, a subsidiary of the Rheinmetall Group, had already been signed at the beginning of 2024. With this pioneering project, the excess heat from the production of molten iron at SLR Group GmbH will be used to save natural gas for the generation of process and heating energy at KS Gleitlager. This will allow KS Gleitlager to save 800 tons of CO₂ per year. The parties expect the investment costs to be amortized after a few years.

Jörg Rumikewitz, CEO of SLR Group GmbH, explains: "We are delighted that we have now been able to officially inaugurate the innovative local heating system. This means that unavoidable process-related excess heat from our foundry can be used in the interests of environmental and climate protection. At the same time, it enables us to make our production processes more efficient and save costs. Special thanks go to KS Gleitlager, as we have impressively demonstrated the innovative strength of the St. Leon-Rot site as part of our partnership."

The closed, underground water circulation system connects the production facilities of the two project partners and channels hot water of around 80 degrees from SLR's foundry to KS Gleitlager. This has the advantage that the excess heat no longer needs to be cooled down in SLR's foundry. The waste heat generated is to be used in the KS Gleitlager GmbH production plant for various production processes and eventually also for heating. The water is then routed back and can be reused by SLR for cooling in production.

With this project the SLR Group is advancing its sustainability initiatives.<sub>By 2025, the company intends to switch completely to sustainable energy sources at all sites and achieve a Group-wide reduction in CO2 emissions in Scope 1&2 of around 99%.


About SLR Group</sub>

SLR Group, headquartered in St. Leon-Rot, Germany, is a leading producer of high-quality cast iron components used mainly in large off-highway agricultural and infrastruc-ture/construction machinery. Founded in 1970, SLR today operates four state-of-the-art, fully invested manufacturing facilities in Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The Group acts as a full-service provider for its customers, spanning from development and tool manufacturing to casting all the way to the machined component. SLR enjoys a blue-chip customer base with entrenched single-source relationships spread over Europe and North America, with main customers including market leading OEMs and Tier 1 vendors. In the 2023/2024 financial year, the SLR Group generated net sales of around EUR 238.1 million (Pro forma figures for the FY 23/24 of the previously operating SLR Holding GmbH). At the end of last year, the company employed 758 people (HC). SLR Group GmbH has issued a Nordic bond with a volume of EUR 75 million, which is listed on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.


About KS Gleitlager

KS Gleitlager GmbH is a subsidiary of the Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall and is known for its high-precision plain bearings. In addition to primary material production with its own aluminum foundry and sintering facilities, production also includes highly complex forming processes through to fully automated testing facilities for final quality inspection. Around 560 people are employed at the St. Leon-Rot site.


Contact SLR:

cometis AG
Thorben Burbach
Unter den Eichen 7 | Building D
65195 Wiesbaden
Germany
Phone: +49(0)611 - 205855-23
E-mail: burbach@cometis.de

Contact Rheinmetall:

Oliver Hoffmann
Head of Press and Public Relations
Rheinmetall AG
Phone: +49-(0)211 473 4748
oliver.hoffmann@rheinmetall.com


Dr. phil. Jan-Phillipp Weisswange
Deputy Head of Press and Public Relations
Rheinmetall AG
Phone: +49-(0)211 473 4287
jan-phillipp.weisswange@rheinmetall.com