Strengthening market position: Ramboll acquires leading engineering firm for thermal treatment plants
Hamburg, Germany - Thermal waste treatment is of great importance in the circular economy for the utilization of non-recyclable waste materials. General conditions such as necessary plant modernizations or increasing demand for sewage sludge incineration provide additional market dynamics. In this environment, Ramboll is strengthening its market position by acquiring the engineering firm W+G.
Integrated consulting for waste-to-energy-projects
The market for thermal waste treatment is dynamic: increasing calorific values of waste require higher capacities and a number of incineration plants are due for modernization. The demand for the incineration of sewage sludge will continue to rise, as it can hardly be used in agriculture or co-incinerated in coal-fired power plants in the future due to stricter sewage sludge and fertilizer regulations and the coal phase-out. In addition, the waste industry is investigating the possibility of capturing and storing CO2 emissions from waste incineration plants.
In this market environment, Ramboll's acquisition of Wandschneider + Gutjahr Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH aims to strengthen its position on the German market and support waste management companies in the sustainable transformation towards the decarbonization of the industrial sector.
The 26-strong W+G team, consisting mainly of process engineers and designers, will strengthen Ramboll's Energy from Waste & Carbon Capture team. Ramboll has already implemented more than 2,500 waste-to-energy projects in 55 countries and provided consulting engineering services for more than 200 new units and retrofits.
“We believe that there is great potential in the German market for engineering consultancy services related to waste-to-energy, sludge incineration and carbon capture. We expect to at least double our revenue in these fields in Germany by 2030”, says Hannes Reuter, Managing Director at Ramboll Energy.
“With this acquisition we gain a foothold in the important German waste-to-energy market. Together, we will drive the continuing decarbonisation of the energy sector and industry by uniting Ramboll’s global reach and experience with W+G’s local presence and specialised focus”, Reuter continues.
“For us, Ramboll is the perfect partner to grow and offer our clients a broader range of services. Ramboll’s international know-how, proven expertise in the field of carbon capture and, last but not least, its strong corporate values and long-term thinking offer our employees very good opportunities for further development”, adds Martin Gutjahr, Managing Director of W+G.
About the companies
The international engineering, architecture and management consultancy Ramboll was founded in Denmark in 1945. With more than 18,000 employees, the company develops sustainable solutions in the business areas of building construction, transportation & infrastructure, water, environment & health, architecture & landscape, energy and management consulting. According to Ramboll, it has a long track record in waste-to-energy projects and is one of the world's leading technical consultants in this field. In the waste-to-energy sector, Ramboll employs over 135 specialists and project managers with in-depth knowledge of processes, technologies, suppliers and plant operations. In the field of carbon capture, utilization and storage, the consultancy has carried out more than 180 carbon capture projects and more than 200 hydrogen and power-to-X projects in recent years.
Wandschneider + Gutjahr Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (W+G) was founded in 1999. The company specializes in thermal process engineering and project management for waste and sludge incineration projects and has experience in district heating, biomass power plants and industrial projects. W+G has successfully completed more than 200 projects from planning to commissioning. The company is headquartered in Hamburg.
Source: IWR Online, 16 Aug 2024
