History of GEA Luftkühler GmbH

1920 February, 2nd: Founding of „Gesellschaft für Enstaubungs-Anlagen mbH“, Bochum. Bag filters for cleaning the cooling air for high-capacity electricity generators and motors for industrial uses are produced. 1922 Invention of GEA’s elliptical finned tube in collaboration with the Aerodynamic Research Institute in Göttingen. 1925 Change of name from Gesellschaft für Entstaubungs-Anlagen to “GEA Luftkühlergesellschaft mbH”, Bochum.
1928 Erection of the first factory building in Wanne-Eickel together with the establishment of a laboratory for thermodynamic and aerodynamic tests. 1939 Commisioning of the first pilot plant for an air-cooled condenser for stationary steam turbines at the Waltrop Colliery in the Ruhr District. 1948 Reconstruction of the destroyed factory buildings. 26 December: death of company founder Otto Happel followed by the assumption of the management by his wife Elisabeth Happel.
1950 Entry by GEA into the field of system engineering with the delivery of the first complete air-cooled condenser to a coal-fired power station in Marienstein, Upper Bavaria. 1956 Opening up new avenues in efficient power generation: First use of air-cooled condensers in a public utility power station and design of a recuperator for a 10 MW closed cycle gas turbine. 1959 First large orders for air-cooled heat exchangers for oil refineries.
1970 50 years of GEA: 135 air-cooled condensers for steam turbines; 8,000 air-cooled references for process engineering applications Changeover of GEA research to electronic metering 1975 Engineer Dr. Otto Happel takes over the management of GEA from his mother Elisabeth Happel. 1976 GEA Luftkühler wins the largest contract to date from Saudi Aramco: Air coolers worth DM 120 million for petrochemical plants in Saudi Arabia. 1980 In the course of a reorganization of the GEA Group, GEA Luftkühler GmbH is transferred to GEA’s Thermal and Energy Technology Division. Large order: Orenburg Pipeline, Russia, 45 Mio. DM 1981 Large order: Yamal Pipeline, Russia, 15 Mio. DM 1992 The Quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001 1992: Large order from VEBA Oel: Following a major fire at the hydrocracker plant, GEA Luftkühler replaced 24 finned tube bundles and 26 large fans within an outstanding short period of 6 months. 1993: 26 Air Coolers for Russian Refinery Samara 1994 Shell Per+, Netherlands, 20 Mio. DM 1995 2 February: GEA Luftkühler GmbH celebrates its 75th anniversary. 1996 The Thermal and Environmental Engineering Business Unit is spun off. 1997 GEA Luftkühler GmbH is completely reorganized. A number of product groups are transferred to independent corporations. 2000 Manufacturing capacities in the Energy Technology Division of the GEA Group are consolidated. GEA Luftkühler GmbH focuses on its core business of air-cooled heat exchangers for mechanical engineering applications. 2002 Air Coolers for MegaMethanol Trinidad (Ferrostaal AG) 2003 New Interconnector/UK Gascompressor-Station in Zeebrugge/Belgium including approval according to "Belgian Gas Act". 2004 District heating BEWAG in Berlin, 120 MW 2005 Fusion of GEA Luftkühler GmbH and GEA Saturn GmbH. 2006 Successful supply of process coolers for Bayer China and a special low noise water cooler unit for ThyssenKrupp 2007 Large order from Kawasaki (J) for switch condensers, five orders from E.ON for several gas compressor stations 2008 Fusion of GEA Luftkühler GmbH and NEMA Airfin GmbH 2009 Award of 6 major contracts from the european gas industrie. 2010 GEA Heat Exchangers - a new segment is built. By focusing all heat-exchanger activities in one single segment, GEA now highlights its position as world leader on the market of heat exchangers. 2011 Merger of product lines Air Dryers and Air preheaters of GEA Happel Wieland and GEA Renzmann & Grünewald with GEA Luftkühler