Henkel Achieves Carbon-Neutral Production at Flagship Sites in India and Türkiye
Henkel has reached a major sustainability milestone after achieving carbon-neutral production at two of its flagship manufacturing sites in India and Türkiye, marking significant progress in the company’s global drive to decarbonise operations and achieve net-zero ambitions.
The company announced that its facilities in Kurkumbh, India, and Gebkim, Türkiye, have successfully eliminated both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, supporting Henkel Adhesive Technologies’ target of decarbonising its operations by 2030. The achievement aligns with the company’s science-based climate targets, which focus on improving energy efficiency, electrifying industrial processes, phasing out fossil fuels and expanding renewable energy use across its global production network.
At the Kurkumbh site, Henkel eliminated fossil fuel consumption by replacing furnace oil-based thermic fluid heaters with high-efficiency electric systems. The transformation involved a comprehensive upgrade of the site’s energy infrastructure, including optimising heat loads, installing advanced heat exchangers and significantly increasing electrical capacity to support full electrification. Combined with a transition to 100% renewable electricity, the measures enabled the complete removal of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, reducing the site’s carbon footprint by approximately 11,300 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually.
The company achieved a similar breakthrough at its Gebkim plant in Türkiye, where a natural gas-fired boiler was replaced with a high-efficiency electric boiler system. The move eliminated direct fossil fuel use and reduced Scope 1 emissions to zero, cutting annual emissions by around 956 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
To further reduce its environmental impact, the Gebkim facility transitioned entirely to renewable electricity through a combination of on-site solar power generation and International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-REC). As a result, Scope 2 emissions have also been reduced to zero. Henkel said the new system delivers improved operational efficiency, enabling the plant to maintain production levels while consuming less energy overall.
Simon Ulmann, Vice President Supply Chain & Operations IMEA at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, said the achievement represented an important step in the company’s sustainability journey.
“Achieving carbon-neutral production at two of our key flagship sites in IMEA is a strong step forward in delivering on Henkel Adhesive Technologies’ global sustainability ambitions,” he said. “Our ambition is clear: we are systematically eliminating fossil fuels from all our operations and replacing them with electrified processes powered by renewable energy. Our manufacturing milestone in both Kurkumbh and Gebkim shows how we can translate our strategy into tangible impact at site level, accelerating our journey toward net-zero operations.”
Bappa Bandyopadhyay, Director Operations & Projects India at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, said the milestone demonstrated that sustainability and business performance could advance together.
“Achieving carbon neutrality at our Kurkumbh site underscores our strong commitment to sustainable growth, responsible manufacturing and operational excellence,” he said. “Through renewable energy adoption and continuous efficiency improvements, we have significantly reduced our carbon footprint while upholding the highest standards of safety, quality and performance.”
Mehmet Yılmaz, Director Operations & Projects Middle East & Africa at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, described the Gebkim project as a powerful example of industrial electrification in action.
“The transformation of our Gebkim plant is a concrete example of how electrification can fundamentally change industrial operations,” he said. “By moving to a fully electric system and renewable energy, we have eliminated fossil fuel usage completely, demonstrating what is possible when innovation, technology, strong teamwork and dedication come together.”
Henkel said the projects demonstrate how fossil fuel-free manufacturing can be achieved and scaled across different regions. As the company continues to expand electrification and renewable energy adoption across its global production network, it expects the initiatives to play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of both its operations and wider value chain, while helping customers meet their own sustainability targets.
