André Christl, CEO of Heraeus Precious Metals, Svea Scherleithner, Global Head of Sustainability Heraeus Precious Metals, and York Alexander Tetzlaff, Managing Director of Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle, discussed topics such as sustainability in the precious metals industry and the importance of raw materials in the promising hydrogen technology with Katja Leikert (CDU), Lennard Oehl (SPD) and a representative of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection on the plant premises in Hanau.
Hanau members of the parliament Leikert and Oehl visit Heraeus
Hanau, 22nd November 2022
Two members of the German Bundestag (federal parliament) from the electoral district of Hanau exchanged views on corporate and industry topics at the invitation of the Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle (Precious Metals Trade Association) and Heraeus Precious Metals.
Precious metals are indispensable for the hydrogen economy. This is where Heraeus Precious Metals comes into play - the company is a global leader in the precious metals industry and offers solutions at all stages of the hydrogen value chain. "Climate change and the energy crisis make it clear to us how important it is to establish alternatives to oil, gas and coal - and green hydrogen plays a key role in this. A constant exchange with policy makers is very important to further advance precious metal-based technologies for the hydrogen economy and to ensure the availability of scarce precious metals," said André Christl, CEO of Heraeus Precious Metals.
Sustainability is at the top of the agenda at Heraeus Precious Metals. "We will be the first precious metals company to produce CO2 neutral from 2025 onwards," said Svea Scherleithner, Global Head of Sustainability.
Sustainable raw material security and the precious metal cycle were also discussed. "Resource-saving recycling has always been the DNA of the precious metals business and is an important competitive advantage for our industry," emphasized York Alexander Tetzlaff, Managing Director of Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle.
After the discussion, the members of the German Bundestag, Leikert and Oehl, were able to get an idea of the company's production processes during a plant tour. The politicians visited the hydrogen laboratories and the recycling plant. They were impressed by the information about precious metals and the production processes in the various departments, which have been perfected thanks to many years of practical experience.
"It is not just the past few months that have shown us that hydrogen technology is a very real future topic. I am therefore grateful for the first-hand impressions. A globally active company like Heraeus Precious Metals is a great asset for Hanau as a business location," said Leikert.
Oehl added: "Technical innovations are absolutely essential for the transformation of our economy to succeed. These are predominantly carried out by medium-sized companies such as Heraeus. With targeted support and clear framework conditions, politics must be a strong partner for medium-sized businesses."