Every kilowatt hour counts

Lufthansa Cargo has been certified according to ISO 50001 – the international standard for systematic energy management – for the first time. In an interview, our Environmental Manager Bettina Mörth, and Energy Manager Steffen Rikirsch, explain what lies behind the certification and how it was achieved.

Why is energy efficiency particularly important for Lufthansa Cargo?

Bettina Mörth: Energy efficiency plays a central role for us – not only from an ecological perspective, but also from an economic one. Both on the ground and in the air, every kilowatt hour saved reduces our CO₂ emissions and helps us to use resources responsibly. In this way, we are actively taking responsibility for the environment and society.

Steffen Rikirsch: At the same time, energy efficiency is also a strategic management task. Investing wisely today not only saves costs, but also strengthens competitiveness in the long term. And this is exactly where our energy management system comes in.

What specific function does the energy management system perform?

Steffen Rikirsch: The certified energy management system gives us transparency about our energy consumption. This enables us to identify potential savings, implement targeted measures, and measure their effectiveness. It's not just about technology – it's also about raising awareness among all employees.

Bettina Mörth: Exactly – the system helps us to record and analyze energy consumption in a structured way and derive measures from this. Every measure counts. And by integrating it into our existing environmental management system, we create real added value.

What exactly is behind the ISO 50001 certification?

Steffen Rikirsch: ISO 50001 is an international standard for energy management. Companies are required to manage energy systematically: This means recording and analyzing consumption, planning measures, and measuring success. For companies with an annual consumption of more than 7.5 GWh – as is the case with us – this is now mandatory under the German Energy Efficiency Act. But even independently of this, it is a sensible and forward-looking step.

What specific steps were necessary for certification?

Steffen Rikirsch: First, we further developed our measurement and monitoring system to precisely record and analyze energy consumption in buildings and facilities. We then set up an energy team, defined goals, and derived measures.

Bettina Mörth: At the same time, we coordinated across departments, brought the topic into the organization, and launched an awareness campaign. We reviewed legal requirements, prepared internal and external audits, and documented the necessary evidence for certification.

How did the actual certification process go?

Steffen Rikirsch: We were able to draw on existing Group guidelines and targets as well as our structured environmental management system and thus implement the energy management system within a year. This was followed by an audit by external auditors over three days in Frankfurt and one day in Munich. It was important to the auditors that we work continuously on improvements, that management is involved, and that energy aspects are taken into account when making investments.

Bettina Mörth: This is a good moment to thank all our colleagues who contributed to this success.

What role do specific measures such as switching to LED lighting play?

Steffen Rikirsch: LED technology is a simple but effective way of reducing electricity consumption. LEDs require up to 80% less energy and last longer. We switched to LED lighting in our animal station in 2023 and also installed a more efficient cooling system.

Bettina Mörth: The result: around 300,000 kWh less energy consumption – that's a saving of around 22 percent. This is roughly equivalent to the annual consumption of a supermarket or a medium-sized school. It's a good example of how individual measures can have a big impact.

Why wasn't this change made earlier?

Steffen Rikirsch: The technology was already available, but high-quality LED systems were expensive for a long time and the light quality was not sufficient at first. Since 2016, we have been gradually replacing the lighting as part of construction projects. Currently, for example, the complete conversion to LED has been commissioned in the “Building 451” project.

How important is energy efficiency in new buildings such as the new Cargo Center?

Bettina Mörth: New buildings offer the opportunity to plan energy-efficient technologies right from the start – for example, photovoltaic systems, modern heating and cooling systems, or energy-efficient conveyor technology.

Steffen Rikirsch: Exactly. This allows future-proof solutions to be integrated at an early stage –instead of having to retrofit them later at great expense.

Where are other major energy consumers located?

Steffen Rikirsch: Conveyor and building services systems are major consumers. We work with technical teams to analyze peak loads, maintenance status, and optimization opportunities. Here, too, even small adjustments can have a big impact.

Bettina Mörth: And important information often comes directly from the departments – our colleagues know the systems best.

What specific measures help in daily operations – for example, with high-speed doors?

Steffen Rikirsch: These doors complete around 200,000 cycles per year. Technical failures or damage caused by vehicles hitting the doors lead to heat loss—an open door can lose up to 3,500 kWh of energy on a winter day. That corresponds to the annual consumption of a two-person household.

Bettina Mörth: What is being done to counteract this?

Steffen Rikirsch: We are testing different door types, automatically reducing the speed in sensitive areas, and making targeted use of visual cues such as the snail symbol. Cooperation with our technical partners is also crucial. And communication is key – for example, through our occupational safety and awareness campaigns.

And what happens now?

Bettina Mörth: We will integrate our global environmental management even more closely with energy management and, for example, carry out combined internal and external audits at FRA and MUC.

What are your hopes for the future of energy management at Lufthansa Cargo?

Bettina Mörth: That we continue to take a close look at things – technically, organizationally, and in our daily work. Every contribution counts: turning off lights, using devices consciously, and looking for energy-efficient solutions. Saving energy starts small – and has a big impact.