GEA, a leading supplier of industrial processing technologies, has announced a €50 million investment to modernize its centrifuge production facilities in Olede and Niederahr, Germany. The funding will be directed towards sustainable production, digitalization, automation, and modern manufacturing technologies to support GEA’s growth in key markets, including food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals.
As a key component in over 3,500 different processes across a range of industries, GEA’s high-quality centrifuges are experiencing a growing demand for applications in alternative protein production and global dairy production. Amid these growth drivers, GEA’s CEO, Stefan Klebert, underscores the importance of advancing its production facilities, stating, “With the investments announced today, we are future-proofing our sites by producing in an even more climate-friendly, efficient, and modern way. As a result, we strengthen the competitiveness of both of these German sites.”
Aside from the utilization of large-scale photovoltaic systems to cover around 10% of the Olede facility’s electricity requirements, GEA aims to convert process heat generation to alternative energy sources like electric steam generation, enabling the Olede and Niederahr sites to operate without gas in the future.
Klaus Stojentin, CEO of GEA’s separation and flow technologies division, commented that the investment will enhance the company’s position as a global leader in centrifuge production. “We are proud to expand our production facilities to better support our customers with first-class products for their manufacturing processes,” said Stojentin.