Double innovation at LEONHARD KURZ: Solar carport and rPET recycling plant now in operation

Fürth/Germany, September 3, 2025: On September 1, 2025, LEONHARD KURZ opened its first solar carport at its Fürth location. The photovoltaic system represents the consistent expansion of a sustainable energy supply and powers the world’s first recycling plant for rPET granulate from high-performance transfer foils at the company's headquarters.

Planning for the PV carport began back in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the project on hold. Progress successfully resumed in November 2022 with the signing of key contracts, followed by a one-year construction phase from November 2023 to November 2024 in which the plant was technically completed. In September 2025, the grand opening took place after the completion of final approval and acceptance processes, as well as organizational preparations for the official launch.

With an installed capacity of 1,244 kWp - distributed across 2,962 modules and a total area of approximately 5,780 m² - the solar carport is expected to produce around 1,150,000 kWh of electricity per year. The system covers 377 parking spaces and offers 32 charging points for employees. With this combination of energy generation, charging infrastructure and land use, KURZ is demonstrating that sustainability at its headquarters does not end with its own electricity consumption, but is thought out holistically - from mobility to resource conservation.

The project was implemented in collaboration with EDV- und Elektrotechnik Hardy Barth GmbH (general contractor), Heinl Stahlkonstruktionen GmbH (roof construction), and Hirschmann & Himmler Stahl- und Hallenbau GmbH (assembly and civil engineering).

In parallel, another flagship project is coming to fruition at the Fürth location: the world's first recycling plant for the production of rPET granulate from distinctive carrier material. This in-house development by LEONHARD KURZ, which has been tested in laboratory trials since 2018, is currently in the production ramp-up phase and will process up to one ton of material per hour in the future.

As part of the RECOSYS^® 2.0 recycling program - the first system of its kind in thin-film technology - KURZ takes back used carrier material from participating customers in the graphics industry. Active since March 2024, the take-back process allows participating customers to easily register their materials in an app. As soon as collection is ecologically advisable, it is carried out by logistics partner Gebrüder Weiss.

The materials are then processed at the Fürth plant into rPET granulate, which is suitable for a wide range of applications, including technical textiles such as yarns or staple fibers. Initial trials to produce PET films with a recycled content of around 40% have also been successful.

The energy requirements of the recycling plant are largely covered by the new solar carport, which brings together photovoltaics and recycling management in LEONHARD KURZ's daily business practices. As part of the grand opening of the solar carport, KURZ welcomed guests from the worlds of business and politics. Among the participants were Dr. Thomas Jung, Mayor of the City of Fürth; Christine Lippert, City Planning Officer and First Plant Manager of StEF (Municipal drainage system in Fürth), Dipl.-Ing. Siegrid Niewrzol, architect at the Fürth Building Authority; Hardy Barth, Managing Director of EDV- & Elektrotechnik Hardy Barth GmbH; and Robert Saazer, master electrician at the company. The event gave guests the opportunity to learn about the project firsthand and discuss the importance of sustainable energy and recycling solutions at the Fürth location. KURZ CEO Dr. Andreas Hirschfelder is convinced of the solar carport’s impact: “With the combination of solar energy and highly innovative recycling technology, we are setting new standards for sustainability in our industry. The solar carport is a visible symbol of our innovative strength and our future-oriented approach. We would like to express our special thanks to Fürth's mayor, Dr. Thomas Jung, who actively supported the approval process and thus contributed significantly to the rapid realization of the project at the Fürth location.