About the KEI

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.

Project sponsor

The funding directive for ‘Decarbonisation of Industry’ expired on 31 December 2023. From August 2024, this is included in a modified form in the funding directive for the Federal Fund for Industry and Climate Action. Module 1, decarbonisation of industry, provides funding for approaches to decarbonisation that aim to achieve reductions to greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing that are as large-scale and permanent as possible. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KEI manages the Module 1.

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.

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.

National Contact Point (NCP) Innovation Fund

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) actively supports the application of German projects to the EU Innovation Fund. To this end, it has set up a National Contact Point, which is operated by the Competence Centre on Climate Change Mitigation in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) and is currently being established. German companies can contact the National Contact Point (NCP) Innovation Fund if they have any questions about the programme.

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.