History of GEA Energietechnik GmbH

1920 Foundation of Gesellschaft für Entstaubungs-Anlagen by Otto Happel senior in Bochum on February, 2.

1922 Invention of the GEA elliptical fin tube, the first independent development of Otto Happel, which was the very basis of GEA’s success together with a number of other patents.

1939 Start-up of the first air-cooled condenser (LUKO) serving a steam turbine at the Prosper mine in Essen, Germany, transferred to the Wirus site in Gütersloh, Germany, after the 2nd World War; condensers were originally developed for locomotives.

1956 First air-cooled condensers for a public utility power station in Trasimeno, Italy, rated 2 x 29 and 36 MW.

1958 Establishment of GEA für luftgekühlte Kondensationsanlagen (LUKO) renamed GEA Energietechnik GmbH (GET).

1965 First natural-draft cooling tower rated 300 MW built under license at the Niederaussem power station, Germany.

1966 First air-cooled condenser (LUKO) for a waste-to-energy facility at a site in Hagen, Germany.

1968 Construction of a 160 MW air-cooled condenser (LUKO) at the Utrillas power station, Spain, and start of the construction of the first air-cooled condenser in the USA (20 MW).

1972 Formation of a cooling tower joint venture by GEA Hamon and Sobelco.

1974 Liquidation of GEA Hamon.

1975 Transfer of the management of the GEA Group from Elisabeth Happel to her son, Dr.-Ing. Otto Happel.

1975 Establishment of GEA Kühlturmbau GmbH (GKT).

1976 Construction of a 365 MW air-cooled condenser at the Wyodak Power Plant, Wyoming, USA, at the time the world’s largest coal fired power station.

1980 Acquisition of Ernst Kirchner Kühlturmbau GmbH by GEA Kühlturmbau GmbH (GKT).

1981 Acquisition of the cooling tower engineering assets of Gottfried Bischof, Essen, Germany, by GEA Kühlturmbau GmbH (GKT). In the same year contract for six identical natural-draft cooling towers at the 6 x 600 MW ESCOM power station in Tutuka, South Africa.

1982-1991 Contract for the world’s largest air-cooled condenser at the 4000 MW Matimba power station, South Africa, worth 360 million DM (still the company’s largest contract ever).

1982 Contract for a natural draft cooling tower at the 1350 MW Bayernwerke Isar II power plant (water throughput 216,000 m3/hr.).

1986 Contract for four identical 210 MW natural draft cooling towers for Neyveli Lignite Corporation, India.

1988 Construction of the first hybrid cooling tower for the municipal utility of the City of Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

1992 VEAG contract for two natural draft cooling towers for treated flue gas at the 2 x 800 MW lignite fired Schwarze Pumpe power station, Germany.

1993 Market launch of the Flair singletube heat exchanger; the aircooled condenser (56 MW turbine rating) at the Alkmaar waste-to-energy facility, Netherlands, is one of the first installations equipped with the Flair system.

1994 Contract for the conversion of the multi-cell wet section of a hybrid cooling tower at the 2 x 349 MW Powergen power plant in Killingholme, UK.

1999 Market launch of the ALEX tube heat exchanger system. Extension of the Horn aircooled condenser, Germany, by the new heat exchanger tube system and opening of a new ALEX tube manufacturing line in Bochum, Germany.

2001 Strengthening of international presence, contracts in Israel and Taiwan.

2002 First large contract in China with ALEX tube heat exchanger system (Datong 2, 2 x 600 MW).

2002 Integration of the GEA Kühlturmbau GmbH (GKT) operations in GEA Energietechnik GmbH.

2003 Two turn-key contracts in Italy with ALEX tube heat exchanger systems.

2003 One turn-key contract in Spain with 8m diameter exhaust pipe lines, (1 x 800 MW).

2004 Further large contracts in China with ALEX tube heat exchanger systems. Building of our own production line in China.

2004 Contract for the construction of two natural draft cooling towers for the RWE power plant in Neurath, (2 x 1100 MW).

2005 Production begin in September of an ALEX-production line in China after only one year planning and construction period. Further contracts in China – Production immediately fully planned for 2 years at maximum capacity.

2005 Two large contracts for the turn-key construction of air-cooled condensers in Australia and Argentina.

2008 Production in China reaches 15,000 bundles.

2008 Dedication of the new headquarters building on Dorstener Street in Herne.

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