Covestro partners with DB Cargo for more sustainable chemicals transport to Poland

Photo: Covestro via AdobeStock

Covestro, a global leader in polymer production, announced in January that it is partnering with logistics expert DB Cargo BTT for a more efficient and sustainable transport of chemicals to and within Poland.

In particular, the coloration is benefitting the transport of methylene diphenyl isocyanate (MDI), a chemical raw material used in a variety of polyurethane materials like the thermal insulation of buildings and refrigerators.

“The entire value chain must be involved to achieve our joint goal of climate neutrality by 2050,” said Hanno Bruemmer, a supply chain and logistics head at Covestro. “Reliable, efficient and sustainable logistics for our ever-more sustainable products are integral to this effort. We collaborate with our customers and transport companies to optimize the supply chain. This includes improving load capacity, selecting the best transport modes and routes, and introducing using sustainable and future-oriented energy sources like green electricity or HVO to replace fossil fuels.”

As part of the collaboration, DB Cargo BTT is providing Covestro with an end-to-end transport solution that combines several sustainable approaches.

First, the chemicals are transported in tank containers from the production sites of Covestro in Germany to a nearby railway terminal using trucks powered by 100 percent hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO100), also known as renewable diesel.

The tank containers are then transported to a distribution center in Poland via rail, keeping trucks off the road and saving respective emissions.

From there, trucks fueled with HVO100 are again deployed to distribute the chemicals to end customers in Poland to ensure on-time delivery.

This particular biofuel is one of the most sustainable alternatives to fossil diesel, Covestro noted.

Altogether, the combination of these modes of transport saves at least 70 percent of CO2 emissions compared to conventional road-transport methods.

“At DB Cargo BTT, we also rely on working with external partners across all modes of transport in order to arrange traction or first- and last-mile services as efficiently as possible for our customers,” said Torsten Lüders, the managing director of DB Cargo BTT GmbH. “For Covestro, we have recently transported essential chemical products to Poland and we’re now happy to combine our rail expertise with biofuel-driven trucks for the first and last mile. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to enabling more sustainable supply chains and supporting the transformation of the chemical industry. Projects like these demonstrate how we, as part of the DB Cargo group, offer our customers a significant degree of added value and are an essential part of European supply chains.”

The collaboration is designed to be flexibly scaled in the future to accommodate growing business needs.

It also sends an important signal to customers of Covestro, such as the Polish Selena Group, a global manufacturer of construction chemicals and materials, who benefit from the delivery of MDI with a lower carbon footprint as it helps to reduce their scope 3 emissions.

“Together with Selena Group, we are committed to advancing sustainable solutions across the entire value chain, offering our valued customers not only more sustainable materials but also sustainable transportation solutions,” said Bernd Hennig, the head of trading cluster MDI at Covestro.  

Michal Specjalski, a member of the management board of product and innovation at Selena Group, added, “Today, sustainable business no longer means having to compromise between efficiency and quality. In Selena Group we are constantly increasing our commitment to the development of sustainable construction. We carefully follow trends and changes in the world around us. We are constantly working on minimizing our environmental impact and rational resource management. That’s why we are delighted to have Covestro and DB Cargo BTT at our side as strong partners who share our commitment to reducing emissions and achieving climate-neutrality targets in Europe and worldwide.”

Selena Group and Covestro are already collaborating in multiple ways to advance the circular economy.

For instance, they are developing polyurethane (PU) foams for improved thermal insulation in buildings based on MDI of the Desmodur® CQ product range.

It is ISCC Plus-certified using plant-based raw materials through mass balancing.

As a result, these products have a lower carbon footprint compared to those derived from fossil raw materials—and now, thanks to the transport solution, they will also be delivered to Selena in a more sustainable way.