26 | Focus on Germany: Dieffenbacher


DIEFFENBACHER POWERS UP


The acquisition of the assets of BERTSCHenergy has supercharged Dieffenbacher’s capabilities in the energy generation technology field. Stephen Powney spoke to Wolfgang Lashofer,


managing director of Dieffenbacher Energy, and head of the new business unit Energy, and Johannes Ohlsson, head of the Dieffenbacher product group solid fuel fired power plants


D


ieffenbacher has been a leading force in the world of wood-based panel


production technology for a long time now. Its growth plans and R&D work has seen it expand its realm of expertise over the years, with it now also having a big focus in the waste material recycling sector, digitalisation and boards made from alternative raw materials.


There was a further big development with the acquisition of the assets and know-how of the Austrian power plant manufacturer BERTSCHenergy, in a move to complement its solution-based portfolio. The acquisition took place via the newly


created Dieffenbacher Energy GmbH subsidiary, with energy now forming a fourth business unit of Dieffenbacher’s portfolio, in addition to wood-based panels, forming and recycling.


The acquisition was designed to accelerate the German company’s ability to support its customers, while helping to shape Europe’s rapidly evolving energy future.


BERTSCHenergy’s existing company headquarters in Bludenz was retained, the existing product portfolio kept and most of its former employees were recruited. Dieffenbacher’s increased portfolio now includes fluidised bed combustion systems for solid fuels (biomass and RDF), gas and steam turbines for power and steam production, plus industrial waste heat systems. In addition, the acquisition further extends the company’s long-time use of reciprocating grate-firing systems. Wolfgang Lashofer, who previously


worked for the Austrian Andritz Group for more than 35 years, was recruited to lead Dieffenbacher Energy as managing director. At Andritz he was senior vice-president and global division manager, with his most recent responsibilities there including paper and tissue machines, stock preparation and recovered paper treatment systems, mechanical pulping systems as well as fibreboard (MDF) and recycling. Johannes Ohlsson, head of product


division group solid fuel fired power plants, is another key person in the division and had already been leading Dieffenbacher’s existing energy systems business, which is now integrated and part of the new business unit Energy.


COMBINING CAPABILITIES Prior to the acquisition, Dieffenbacher already had an energy department, with a team of 15 at Eppingen. It has been focused solely on the wood-based panels industry, supplying energy systems to help customers generate process heat in production. Most of the Dieffenbacher projects for process heat involve flue gas for the dryer and heating thermal oil for the press. Its reference list for these projects


extends to dozens of clients, starting in 2009 with the supply of a 22MW plant to a particleboard plant run by Rauch GmbH at Markt Bibart.


Above: Conventional Dieffenbacher grate combustion energy system (Dieffenbacher Wood Business Unit)


WBPI | December 2023/January 2024 | www.wbpionline.com


The acquisition of the assets of a US energy technology company and its know- how in 2011 added to its capabilities and led to a number of projects in the US. “It was around 2008 that Dieffenbacher decided that customers were demanding complete plant solutions and we needed our own energy solutions,” said Mr Ohlsson. Recent projects include a 65MW plant at Camsan Ordu in 2021 for an MDF plant; an 85MW system at Berneck’s new particleboard plant in Curitibanos, Brazil (2023); and a 49.5MW project at Homanit in Pagiriai, Lithuania for its MDF line (2023). Two projects due to start up in 2024 include a 31.4MW solution for Fletcher Building Products’ OSB project in Taupo, New Zealand and a 58MW plant for Swiss Krono’s OSB plant in Vásárosnamény, Hungary. One previous co-operation with Bertsch was a project for IKEA industry Poland in 2012. On this project, Dieffenbacher supplied a reciprocating grate design for a refractory lined combustion chamber to heat thermal oil. It also needed to design a superheated steam boiler with a turbine to


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