#Sustainability

2024-08-29

Lindauer DORNIER continues to rely on solar power

Lindauer DORNIER has put a new photovoltaic system into operation at its main plant in Lindau. Following the system at the Esseratsweiler plant, which was connected to the grid at the end of 2022, this is the machine and plant manufacturer's second photovoltaic system. In future, it will not only supply the company's own production, but also the public power grid with environmentally friendly solar energy. The family-owned company's aim is to cover its electricity needs entirely from renewables in the long term.

The aim of the family-owned company DORNIER is to cover its energy needs entirely from renewables in the long term and to reduce its CO2 footprint © Lindauer DORNIER

With a maximum output of up to 880 kWp (kilowatt peak), the new photovoltaic system can generate up to 880,000 kWh of solar power per year under optimal conditions. This amount could supply around 220 average four-person households with electricity for a year. Spread over six roofs and with a total area of around 4,000 m², the new system is the largest rooftop system in the district of Lindau, according to Energie-Atlas Bayern. ‘The project was a bit tricky because the feed-in points are spread across the entire factory premises, some of which are listed buildings – but the high planning effort paid off,’ says Franz-Peter Matheis, CFO at DORNIER. DORNIER uses the majority of the solar power generated for the production of its air-jet and rapier weaving machines. The surplus electricity is fed into the public power grid and thus also supplies private households in the region with environmentally friendly solar energy. ‘Our thanks go above all to Stadtwerke Lindau, who have supported us at all times, especially with the fast processing and certification of the system,’ says Matheis. If the company's own electricity supply is not sufficient, it obtains 100% green electricity from hydropower by cooperating with Stadtwerke Lindau as a regional electricity provider.

Aim: to cover energy needs entirely from renewables

The new photovoltaic system is part of large investments that DORNIER has recently made to strengthen sustainability and secure the future of its two production sites in Lindau and Esseratsweiler. In addition to the photovoltaic system on the roof of the film stretching system production hall in Esseratsweiler, which was commissioned in 2022, this also includes investments in the modernisation of the machinery, the expansion of digitisation, the self-supply of nitrogen (which eliminates CO2-intensive transport) and the construction of a new training centre for up to 75 trainees and dual students in Lindau.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

From carbon to canvas: DORNIER presents flexible and reliable weaving technologies for 3D weaving and dynamic markets at Techtextil

At Techtextil from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 12.0, Stand D95), Lindauer DORNIER will be showcasing reliable and flexible weaving technologies for ever-changing market requirements. The machine and plant manufacturer will present retrofits for existing machines, the new TRITOS® FLEX 3D weaving technology, intuitive automation concepts and software solutions for data-sovereign networking of the weaving machine fleet.

40 years of the Peter Dornier Foundation: Four decades of non-profit commitment to people, culture and the environment in Lindau, Germany and worldwide

The “Haus Brög zum Engel” hospice, the historic farm “Haug am Brückele” and numerous other projects: for over 40 years, the Peter Dornier Foundation has been supporting social and cultural life in Lindau and beyond. The company-related foundation can look back on more than 500 projects it has supported in Germany and worldwide. It was founded in 1985 by Peter Dornier, founder and long-time Managing Director of the international machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER, whose profits go into the foundation at a rate of ten percent annually via a holding company. In the future, the foundation intends to expand its commitment in an even more targeted way.

Updated supply chain taxonomy advances apparel alignment

The apparel alliance (Apparel Impact Institute, Cascale, Textile Exchange, and ZDHC Foundation) today announced the launch of Version 2 of the Supply Chain Taxonomy, an updated harmonized framework designed to improve consistency, transparency, and collaboration across the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) sectors of the broader apparel industry.

Indovinya advances sustainable solutions with agreement for the supply of renewable Oxygen from Air Liquide

Indovinya, the specialty chemicals and surfactants division of Indorama Ventures, has entered into an agreement with Air Liquide — a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for industry and healthcare — for the supply of renewable oxygen. The agreement represents a strategic advancement in Indovinya’s commitment to sustainability, as it increases the share of renewable raw materials in the production of ethylene oxide, one of its key products.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.