Agroforestry for the heat transition: Wurzener Land-Werke nominated for STADTWERKE AWARD 2025

Great recognition for a strong project: Wurzener Land-Werke GmbH has reached the final of the prestigious STADTWERKE AWARD 2025 with its innovative project “Agroforestry for the heat transition” (“Agroforst für die Wärmewende”). The company is one of the six finalists from 51 applications from Germany and Austria – proof of the pioneering combination of agriculture, climate protection and regional energy supply. The LIFE IP ZENAPA (Zero Emission Nature Protection Areas) project not only supported the establishment of Wurzener Land-Werke GmbH and the identification of new local heating networks, but also the planting of the agroforestry areas, which were created in close collaboration with the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) at Trier University of Applied Sciences.

Saxony’s largest agroforestry system as a role model

Saxony’s largest contiguous agroforestry system has been created on 18 hectares in Böhlitz – with over 30,000 planted trees such as poplars and timber trees. The concept combines strips of trees with traditional arable crops to improve the water balance of the arable land. This promotes agricultural use while simultaneously binding CO₂, protecting the soil and producing wood for climate-friendly heat generation.

Stefanie Kleine, Managing Director of Wurzener Land-Werke GmbH, puts it in a nutshell: “With the agroforestry system, we are creating a win-win situation for agriculture, the environment and energy supply. We are proud to be establishing a forward-looking model for a climate-friendly and economically viable region with our project.”

Strong together for a sustainable region

The project was developed in close collaboration with many partners, such as Agrargenossenschaft Böhlitz e. G., IfaS at the Trier University of Applied Sciences and Wurzener-Landwerke-GmbH. A key milestone for the successful implementation was the funding from the EU LIFE project ZENAPA, which specifically supports sustainable projects for climate protection and CO₂ reduction.

In future, the agroforestry system in Böhlitz will be used as a model and demonstration site for applied research in AGROfloW (AFaktive sibling project). This is a wonderful example of cooperation between agriculture and regional companies with local authorities and applied research in order to develop pragmatic solutions for adapting to climate change in and with practice.

Vote now! Every vote counts

Support the Wurzener Land-Werke agroforestry project in the ZfK reader voting! Your vote counts – voting runs until 15 July.