Skip to content

About the KEI

We bring together industry, science, politics and civil society.

Mission statement

The Competence Centre on Climate Change Mitigation in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) provides support and funding for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions especially for energy-intensive industries in Germany. The Centre’s work focuses on producers of basic materials such as steel, chemicals, cement, lime, non-ferrous metals, glass, paper and ceramics, as well as other relevant parts of industries with process-related emissions. High greenhouse gas emissions present these producers with particular challenges to achieving the goal of net zero by 2045, as recently enshrined in German law.

Structure

The Competence Centre is a division within Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). Headquartered in Cottbus (around 100 km south of Berlin) the Centre actively contributes to structural development in the Lusatian region.

A motivated team of experts in various technical and economic disciplines provides qualified and specialised support to partners in manufacturing as they engage in this demanding and complex transformation.

The work of the KEI is supported by an Advisory Council that offers input for the Centre’s thematic development and orientation. The Council also ensures transparency and the involvement of relevant interest groups.

Project sponsor

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KEI managed the ‘Decarbonisation of Industry’ funding programme until the end of 2023. The corresponding funding guideline for decarbonization in industry expired on 31.12.2023 and is currently being updated. Information regarding the new funding guideline and the revised procedure will be available on our website at the beginning of 2024.

With our consulting and funding services, we aim to accelerate the transformation of the basic materials industry towards greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.

Think Tank

The transformation of energy-intensive industries is a huge and complex challenge whose knock-on effects along the value chain are felt in many other areas of the economy. Therefore, alongside its focus on the manufacturing sector, the Competence Centre also works with government and research, as well as the general public. For this group of actors, the KEI offers a platform for interdisciplinary, industry-wide dialogue. This helps to consolidate and transfer the knowledge needed for decarbonisation so as to accelerate innovation.

To support technical dialogue with industry partners on issues related to decarbonisation, the KEI cooperates regularly with many partners to host the KEI Expert Forums and the KEI Podium, as well as other event formats.

Das Gebäude des Kompetenzzentrums Klimaschutz in energieintensiven Industrien aus der Vogelperspektive
The KEI in Cottbus, Germany.

Cluster Decarbonisation in Industries (CDI)

The KEI also works together with other institutions in the Cluster Decarbonisation in Industries with the aim of contributing solutions to achieve net-zero manufacturing. The initiators are the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, the Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the KEI. The KEI also operates the CDI Coordination Office in Cottbus.

Event series at KEI

Contact

Competence Centre on Climate Change Mitigation in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 33
03046 Cottbus, Germany
+49 355 47889-101 Write E-Mail

At a glance

Established: 2019

Acting Director: Daniel Lauche

Team: over 35 members of staff

A division of Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH

Client: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)