Ruhrortplus

About

Founded in 2021, Ruhrortplus is a ngo headquartered in Duisburg, Germany specializing in Solar, Hydrogen, Energy Storage.

Ruhrortplus (formerly Urban Zero) is an urban sustainability initiative founded in 2021 and formally registered as an association in April 2025. It pursues the ambitious goal of making Duisburg-Ruhrort environmentally neutral by 2029 through a three-stage model: analysis, reduction, and compensation. The initiative encompasses energy transition (photovoltaic expansion, district heating networks, geothermal systems), building renovation, sustainable mobility, waste reduction, urban greening, and community engagement. Key partners include the City of Duisburg, GEBAG (municipal housing company), duisport (port authority), Haniel (industrial company with headquarters in the district since 1756), and Greenzero. The project operates through multiple workstreams covering energy, buildings, mobility, consumption, and environmental topics, with a citizen engagement platform (Quartiers-App) enabling local participation. The Ruhrort Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) identified 2021 environmental costs of €20 million annually, with major hotspots in energy, transport, consumption, and building infrastructure.

Projects