A “tireless advocate for his cause” – that's how colleagues describe Stefan Geissler. The expert from Global Energy Management (GF PTSE) has a clear vision: to use energy more intelligently in our plants. He has now been honored with the new “Sustainability Pathfinder” award for his work.

When Stefan Geissler talks about energy, images come to mind that stick in the mind. There is distillation, which works like a cooking pot: heat at the bottom, condensate at the top – which simply escapes into the wastewater in one plant, while another urgently needs precisely this energy. “Energy cannot be touched. It rushes invisibly through pipes, drives pumps, heats reactors,” he says. “My job is to make these flows tangible and work with the plants to find out how we can use steam, electricity, and gas as efficiently as possible.” For eight years, Geissler has been pulling the strings in global energy management in the Group Function PTSE—a task that requires technical know-how, strategic vision, and a good dose of tenacity. Four times a year, he brings together the energy officers from the business units, informs them about new legal requirements, shares best practice examples, and provides inspiration.

He does not see himself as a lone warrior, but rather as a mediator between management and the plants. “I can't make a difference on my own. It takes people in the plants who are willing to try new things,” he explains. Fortunately, there are already quite a few of them, as the figures show: Between 2021 and 2024, LANXESS reduced its annual energy consumption by around 200 GWh. “That saves us around 12 million euros year after year,” says the expert. And Geissler is convinced: “We are still a long way from realizing the full potential.” But the path is not easy. Additional equipment costs money, conversions involve risks, and approvals take time. He therefore also sees great opportunities in the possibilities offered by digitalization and AI. “New monitoring systems, which are already in use in the first plants, create a whole new level of transparency. In the future, artificial intelligence could check operating reports and provide tips on how we can control our energy flows even better,” he reports.

The award, which has been prominently displayed on his desk for a few weeks now, is above all an incentive for him to continue. “For me, the Pathfinder title is clearly the result of great cross-functional teamwork – for the economic success of our company and the protection of the climate.”

With the new “Sustainability Pathfinder” award, the global sustainability community at LANXESS honors colleagues who are particularly committed to LANXESS's sustainability goals – and thus generate cost savings or new business opportunities.

The first winner is Energy Manager Stefan Geissler (GF PTSE), who received the award in the Cologne Tower from Inga Cramer (GF DEV) and Sebastian Röhrig (GF COM).