Reliability and on-time delivery, part 2: Climate change forces adjustments to site infrastructure
Strategic risk management as the tool of choice for assessing impacts and identifying suitable measures
At AMAG’s Ranshofen site, the impacts of climate change are already tangible and quantifiable. This becomes evident when looking at the change in a variety of climatic metrics in Ranshofen, especially over the last two decades.
The average annual temperature in Ranshofen was 10.0°C in 2016, 1.8°C higher than in the period from 1971 to 2000. There has also been a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events. In 2024, there were more heavy rainfall events with record amounts of precipitation within 10 or 20 minutes in just ten weeks than in any other year since 2003. Conversely, prolonged periods of drought are also becoming more frequent in all seasons. The overall distribution of precipitation across the year is changing significantly. Wind conditions have also changed, with an increase in the number of storms. Extreme weather conditions have impacted the company premises as well as the AMAG forest. In recent years, snowfall, storms, drought and pest infestations have caused significant damage to trees in the forest.AMAG keeps a close eye on these impacts and records them systematically as part of its strategic risk management process. This allows AMAG to assess risks such as floods following heavy rain, storm damage and the impact of drought on the soil and vegetation, and document the measures implemented in response. Of course, there are no short-term means of influencing weather events or climatic conditions. However, by continuing to analyze these events, AMAG is well positioned to handle their impacts and the resulting damage. This is illustrated on the next page by the company’s measures for handling heavy rainfall events.
The company’s fire service, which is ready for action around the clock, performs vital duties in emergency situations and has been fitted out with high-quality equipment in recent years. A mobile crane, for example, makes it possible to undertake technical missions at height and in inaccessible locations, as is often the case in stormy weather.A drone with a thermal imaging camera is an outstanding tool to inspect the 400,000 m² of roofs, photovoltaic systems and the company’s rail sidings, for damage caused by storms and hail. The probability and severity of such events is rising. The drone is also an important reconnaissance tool when looking for signs of forest fires and wildfires, which are increasingly common in drought conditions. The use of these technologies and the impacts of climate change are reflected in the training undertaken by the company fire service and their range of activities.
Risks due to the increase in heavy rainfall events
The monitoring station operated by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) on the company premises recorded several extraordinary heavy rainfall events in the summer of 2024. The measured values reach up to 41 l/m² within 20 minutes, exceeding the German Meteorological Service (DWD) maximum warning threshold of 40 l/m² per hour for heavy rainfall on multiple occasions.AMAG was well prepared for high volumes of rainfall, having created extensive rainfall infiltration systems in the form of wells and basins with a total area of 45,000 m². This is unique for an industrial site. AMAG’s infiltration basins can hold vast amounts of water and swiftly direct it to the groundwater. This prevents widespread flooding on the company premises and significantly relieves the load on drainage channels and nearby streams. Before these infiltration systems were created, heavy rainfall in 2003 caused flooding and brought production activities in Rolling Mill 1 to a standstill. Back then, the drainage channel transporting rainwater into the Inn river was repeatedly pushed beyond its hydraulic capacities. In the future, we expect even higher amounts of increasingly intense rainfall and storms. We are therefore evaluating and adapting our existing infrastructure as quickly as possible. Corresponding measures include additional relief channels and infiltration systems. AMAG’s Ranshofen site is located on a sprawling ice-age gravel terrace from the Inn river. This permeable subsoil is ideally suited for infiltration systems Given the site’s distance from the Inn and elevation above it, there is no risk of flooding from the river.The site is broadly flat, so there is also no risk of landslides. The risk of earthquakes is also very low for AMAG’s premises.In summary, in terms of geological and geographic parameters, AMAG is based on a very safe, well-protected site.
