The Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 circuit breaker for industrial and infrastructure applications is now made from materials whose fossil raw materials are replaced at the beginning of the value chain by bio-methane from renewable sources such as agricultural waste.

Both materials (Ultramid® BMBcertTM and Ultradur® BMBcertTM from BASF) offer the same quality and performance as conventional plastics. The material changeover in the production of the SIRIUS 3RV2 circuit-breaker is expected to save around 270 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. This step supports Siemens' sustainability goals in the areas of decarbonization and resource efficiency, which are defined in the DEGREE framework. In the coming months, Siemens plans to expand the use of sustainable materials to the entire SIRIUS portfolio for industrial controls.

The mass balance approach

BASF is increasingly relying on renewable and recycled raw materials for the manufacture of its products. According to the mass balance approach, renewable or recycled raw materials are introduced into the production Verbund at the beginning of BASF's complex value chains. If customers opt for a certified product from such a value chain, BASF feeds sustainable raw materials into the BASF Verbund. "The mass balance approach is a pioneering solution that enables the gradual replacement of fossil raw materials even in complex production processes. The advantages of this approach are obvious: the greater the demand for alternative products, the higher the proportion of alternative raw materials in the production network. This is in line with our goal of achieving a circular economy and 'net zero' operations as quickly as possible," explains Martin Jung, President BASF Performance Materials.

According to the mass balance approach, various alternative raw materials such as bio-methane, bio-naphtha or pyrolysis oil can be integrated into the value chains. The bio-naphtha and bio-methane used by BASF is certified as sustainable according to established systems such as ISCC PLUS and REDcert. The SIRIUS 3RV2 circuit breaker is a good example of resource-efficient plastics production and a milestone on BASF's #ourplasticsjourney.