The Frechen factory (in the Rhein-Erft district) focuses on the production of pulverised lignite, which fuels the boiler systems of industrial customers, such as paper mills, cement works and drying plants.

The energy required to crush and dry the raw lignite is generated by two lignite-fired fluidised-bed power plant boilers and three mill-fired boilers. In the fluidised-bed boilers, fine-grained raw lignite is stirred up in a stream of air and burnt. The process ensures high burn-up at a comparatively low temperature. Co-combustion of sewage sludge in the two fluidised-bed boilers helps dispose of residual materials, for example from municipal water boards, in an environmentally compliant manner. All the boilers operate according to the combined heat and power principle, i.e. they generate both superheated steam to dry the raw lignite, which is wet from the opencast mining, and electricity to operate the conveyor technology and grinding equipment.