MAN Ferrostaal banks on renewable Energies and Fuels

27.04.2007 -

MAN Ferrostaal is systematically opening up the market for renewable energies and fuels and is banking thereby above all solar power stations and for the production of biofuels. As in other fields of plant construction, the company uses technology partners here also to realise mutual projects.

The market for biofuels is developing very quickly at present. MAN Ferrostaal has been successful in establishing itself in this market. For the Polish Lotos group, the company is erecting a turnkey biodiesel plant as the general contractor. The construction commenced at the beginning of 2007; completion is envisaged for the beginning of 2008. The plant is designed for an annual capacity of 100 000 tons. MAN Ferrostaal is erecting another bio-diesel plant with a capacity of 200 000 tons for J&S Bio Energy B.V. in Amsterdam in Holland. The investment of the two plants amounts to a total of 70 million euro; the order value for MAN Ferrostaal lies at 40 million euro. In the production of bio-diesel, MAN Ferrostaal has a worldwide licence issued by Ölmühle Leer Connemann GmbH (part of the American ADM group) for use of the so-called CD process (continuous deglycerolisation), which is used in the two plants in Poland and the Netherlands. This technology was developed in the nineties by the German engineer, Dr. Joosten Connemann, and is one of the first major technical processes for the production of biodiesel.

In Bülstringen, Saxony Anhalt, MAN Ferrostaal is realising, together with Conergy AG and AGRAVIS Raifffeisen AG, one of the German-wide biggest bioethanol plants with a planned capacity of 200 000 m³. Commencement of construction is planned for 2007; the start of production is expected in 2009. The investment volume amounts to 130 million euro. With the realisation of the bioethanol plant in Germany, MAN Ferrostaal is opening up the strongly growing bioethanol market. The EU Commission, for example, wishes to introduce the plan that biofuels have a share of ten percent in the total fuel market by 2020. The German biofuel quota law obliges the mineral oil industry to add bioethanol to benzene. The capacity of the plant in Bülstringen is sufficient to cover around one quarter of the quantity of additives in Germany in 2008. In addition, an increased requirement of E85 can be expected, a fuel which contains 85 percent bioethanol and only 15% percent benzene.

MAN Ferrostaal is erecting a first thermal solar power station at present together with the Solar Power Group (SPG), the German Centre for Aerospace and the Fraunhofer Institut für Solar Energiesysteme, in Almeria in Spain. The demonstration plant, with a planned output of one megawatt, will probably start operation in June of this year. The so-called Fresnel technology is used thereby which is distinguished by particularly low costs in production, construction and operation. For this reason, the company expects high efficiency from the demonstration plant, which is invested for two years. The goal of this plant is the commercialisation of the technology from 2008.

MAN Ferrostaal AG, Essen is the industrial service provider in the MAN group with 4,300 employees and a turnover of 1.4 billion euro (2006). With the lines "projects" and "services", MAN Ferrostaal serves customers worldwide in more than 60 countries. MAN Ferrostaal is a subsidiary of MAN Aktiengesellschaft, Munich. The MAN group is one of the leading vehicle, engine and machine construction companies in Europe with annually around 13 billion euro turnover. MAN is a provider of lorries, buses, diesel engines, turbo machines and industrial services and employs worldwide around 50,000 employees. The MAN company divisions hold leading positions in their markets. MAN AG, Munich is quoted on the German Share Index, the DAX, of the 30 leading German public limited companies.

About MAN Ferrostaal AG:

MAN Ferrostaal is a worldwide supplier of industrial services for the construction of large-scale industrial plants and machine supply. As a general contractor for plant construction, the company offers project development, project management and financing solutions for turnkey plants in the areas of solar thermal power plants as well as biofuels, petrochemical and industrial plants. In ccoperation with manufacturers of machines and production lines, MAN Ferrostaal offers sales and services in the areas of automotive industries, print and packaging, piping, ships and transport solutions. With 4,200 employees MAN Ferrostaal is represented in more than 60 countries. The company achieved a turnover of EUR 1.4 billion in 2007.

MAN Ferrostaal is a subsidiary of MAN Aktiengesellschaft, Munich. The MAN Group is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of engineering equipment and vehicles, generating annual sales of around EUR 16 billion. MAN supplies products, systems and services to the capital goods industry and employs approx. 55,000 people worldwide. The core areas operated by the MAN Group, Commercial Vehicles, Industrial Services, Diesel Engines and Turbomachines, all hold leading positions in their markets. MAN is a member of the DAX German Share Index, Germany’s top 30 public limited companies.