• E.ON sees hotel industry as important market for energy efficiency and reducing CO emissions
  • Radisson Blu in Frankfurt first hotel in Europe with a fuel cell of industrial size
  • Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport subsidises project with over 800,000 Euros

Radisson Blu and E.ON are setting new standards for sustainability in the hotel industry. Thanks to a highly innovative decentralized solution, the Frankfurt Radisson Blu will generate its own energy in the future. E.ON has installed a fuel cell that has a huge advantage over conventional power generation systems: they generate electricity and heat in a non-combustion process which is virtually absent of pollutants such as nitrous oxide or fine dust particles. The use of fuel cell technology allows the Radisson Blu hotel to generate a large share of the energy needed to run the hotel free of emissions.

Radisson Blu is an architectural landmark built in the form of massive disc. With more than 400 rooms and suites, it has enormous energy needs, which had previously been covered entirely by the power grid. Starting in late summer 2017, the fuel cells will supply about three gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity and two GWh of heat to the hotel. The highly efficient technology also allows the Radisson Blu to reduce CO emissions by about 600 tons a year. This amount is equal to the CO emissions from 50,000 cars driving 100 kilometers.

'We are proud to help carry out such a pioneering project - the first of its kind in Europe. The project will help expand our innovative sustainability work and bring us an important step closer to achieving our ambitious Think Planet goal of reducing the CO consumption in our hotels by another 10 percent by 2020,' says Inge Huijbrechts, Vice President of Responsible Business at the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, the parent company of Radisson Blu Hotels.

E.ON sees enormous potential energy savings in the hotel industry: energy intensive processes such as heating water, lighting and cooling mean that a hotel requires substantial amounts of electricity and heat throughout the entire year. Compared to office buildings, the hotel industry has relatively high energy costs - on average between 5 and 10 percent of total operating revenue.
According to estimates, the German hotel industry emits about five million tons of CO annually. At the same time, sustainability is becoming ever more important for hotel guests. 'The continuous growth in the hotel industry makes it an important market for E.ON's energy solutions business. Innovative energy solutions such as fuel cells can supply added value for hotels, as they significantly lower energy costs and dramatically increase environmental friendliness - up to the point of being climate neutral', says Karsten Wildberger, member of the Executive Board at E.ON SE.

The project is also receiving additional support of in total 800,541 Euros through the 'National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Program' from the Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW) GmbH is sponsoring the project with the goal of developing and marketing internationally competitive hydrogen and fuel cell technology products. FuelCell Energy Solutions will supply the fuel cells for the project and monitor the project remotely together with E.ON, to help make sure the system runs as efficiently as possible.

About Radisson Blu

Radisson Blu® is one of the world's leading hotel brands with nearly 300 hotels in operation in 69 countries and territories. Radisson Blu's vibrant, contemporary and engaging hospitality is characterized by a unique Yes I Can!SM service philosophy, and all of its first class hotels offer a range of signature features that are empathetic to the challenges of modern travel, including the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Distinguished the world over as the brand with Hotels Designed to Say YES!SM, Radisson Blu offers a vivid visual celebration of leading-edge style where the delight is in the detail. Radisson Blu hotels are located in prime locations in major cities, airport gateways and leisure destinations across the world.

Radisson Blu is a part of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which also includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson®, Radisson RED, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. For reservations and more information visit, www.radissonblu.com. Connect with Radisson Blu on social media: @RadissonBlu on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.com/RadissonBlu.

About E.ON Connecting Energies

A subsidiary of the E.ON Group, E.On Connecting Energies specializes in integrated energy solutions for customers in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. The company provides tailored solutions for energy efficiency, decentralized power generation, flexibility, virtual power plants and battery power storage. As an energy partner, E.ON Connecting Energies helps save on energy costs and lowers energy consumption while reducing customer COemissions for the long term.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group Management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

E.ON SE published this content on 08 February 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 08 February 2017 09:41:09 UTC.

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