Wienerberger secures gas supply from Haidach storage facility

Vienna, August 30, 2022 – Wienerberger currently considers the supply of natural gas to be secured in all its markets. Nevertheless, Wienerberger has been working intensively in recent weeks and months to ensure that all its 220 production sites worldwide will be securely supplied with energy in the future. To this end, the company has drawn up its own emergency plans and cooperated closely with the national authorities. 

Since 1 August 2022, it has been possible for Austrian companies to store gas at the Haidach (Salzburg) gas storage facility. Wienerberger used the opportunity to invest in the security of gas supply, securing a total gas capacity of 25 gigawatt hours (GWh) at the Haidach storage facility for the company. Wienerberger is one of the first companies in Austria to take advantage of the Haidach storage facility. Based on the consumption of 390 GWh of gas per year at all production sites, 25 GWh would be sufficient to keep Wienerberger’s roof tile and clay block plants of strategic importance for the Austrian economy in operation for a longer period of time in the event of a substantial cut in gas supply. Haidach is the second largest gas storage facility in Central Europe; the entity responsible for gas storage is RAG Austria AG.

As Heimo Scheuch, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Wienerberger Group, notes “Since the outbreak of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, gas supply has been secure in all our markets. In recent years, Wienerberger successfully diversified its business model and has thus become much more resilient than in the past. However, we do not expect geopolitical tensions to ease in the second half of the year and foresee continued economic effects of the conflict. We are intensifying our investments in the conversion of production to sustainable energy sources. Depending on local availability, electricity, hydrogen, biogas or synthetic gas can be used. At the same time, within the framework of our ambitious decarbonization strategy, we are focusing on process improvements in order to reduce energy consumption. Having secured the supply of natural gas from the Haidach storage facility, we have now found a solution for Austria that will enable us to guarantee the continued operation of our production sites.”

Wienerberger Group
The Wienerberger Group is a leading international provider of smart solutions for the entire building envelope and for infrastructure. Wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) and the market leader in clay roof tiles (Koramic, Tondach) in Europe as well as concrete pavers (Semmelrock) in Eastern Europe. In pipe systems (Steinzeug-Keramo ceramic pipes and Pipelife plastic pipes), the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe. By acquiring Meridian Brick, Wienerberger further strengthened its position as a leading supplier of facade products in North America. With its total of 220 production sites, the Wienerberger Group generated revenues of € 4.0 billion and EBITDA LFL of € 671 million in 2021.

For further information, please contact:
Claudia Hajdinyak, Head of Corporate Communications Wienerberger AG
t +43 664 828 31 83 | [email protected]

Daniel Merl, Head of Investor Relations Wienerberger AG
t +43 1 601 92 - 10221 | [email protected]