Westfalen AG brings record: over 100 million euros EBIT!

Westfalen AG brings record: over 100 million euros EBIT!

Norddeutschland, Deutschland - Westfalen AG presented its balance sheet for the 2024 financial year today and thus continues its success story. With an EBIT of 103.5 million euros, the company exceeded the 100 million mark for the first time, which means a new record in the company's 100-year history. This positive result was partially favored by a once effect from the sale of a former works area, such as the braunschweig newspaper reported.

Despite the gratifying numbers, the company remains careful. The investments remained behind the planning, influenced by political uncertainty. CEO Dr. Thomas Perkmann emphasized the company's competitiveness and customer proximity and emphasized that around 50% of the result comes from potentially low -emission areas. In the area of ​​CO2 emissions, Westfalen AG has reached an impressive reduction by 67% since 2019 and thus already fulfilled its original climate target for 2030 prematurely. The general goal is to reduce CO2 emissions to net zero by 2030.

growth and innovation

in the core business with industrial gases, Westphalia is stable, despite the continuing weak economy and volatile energy prices. The company supplies around 40,000 commercial customers with gases and has opened a new bottling plant in northern Germany and the French Atlantic coast this year. In addition, sales at around 260 petrol stations remain at a high level. In order to meet the requirements of the future, the expansion of alternative drive energies is promoted: 100 quick load points and 32 new charging points were added last year.

Westfalen also relies on a sustainable future, for example by introducing HVO (hydrated vegetable oil) at selected petrol stations. The demand for heat pumps is increasing; In this context, the company is involved in a district heating and Kesseltechnik GmbH in Oberhausen. Sales also remain stable in the propane business and the portfolio is expanded with Bio-LPG. In the Respiratory HomeCare area, the company has strong growth in Germany and the Netherlands.

The meaning of hydrogen

Due to political uncertainties, Westfalen AG has revised its hydrogen strategy. Hydrogen is viewed as a key technology for the energy transition, which is also underlined by the Tagesschau . Hydrogen plays a central role in the national hydrogen strategy (NWS), which was designed by the federal government in order to create the framework for generation, transport and use of hydrogen. The NWS aims to establish new value chains for the German economy and to promote the market high run of hydrogen technologies.

hydrogen could help reduce CO2 emissions in industry and in traffic significantly. The Federal Government has set itself the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2045. The increase in green hydrogen, which is generated without CO2 emissions from renewable energies, will be of central importance. The need for green electricity and corresponding investments in the infrastructure are essential.

The NWS comprises 38 measures that are intended to strengthen competitiveness and research in this sector. Economic Minister Robert Habeck also emphasizes the importance of hydrogen in an international setting, including in Qatar and India, to replace fossil fuels and store excess electricity. Despite these progress, there are challenges, such as the necessary conversion of industrial plants and the establishment of a petrol station network.

Overall, Westfalen AG is optimistic and adaptive, even if the company is confronted with challenges in the industry. The future development in the hydrogen area will be decisive in order to meet the requirements of the energy transition and at the same time to control investments in an insecure political environment.