€11 Million Investment in Essen: Energietechnik Essen Opens New High-Tech Melting Facility

New P-ESR facility doubles production capacity for High Nitrogen Steels (HNS®) and strengthens Essen and North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location

Energietechnik Essen GmbH (ETE), part of GMH Gruppe, today inaugurated its new Pressure Electroslag Remelting (P-ESR) facility in Essen. More than €11 million has been invested in the company’s melting operations. The new facility doubles ETE’s P-ESR production capacity for High Nitrogen Steels (HNS®) supplied to customers around the world.

Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy and Deputy Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, joined representatives of Energietechnik Essen, GMH Gruppe, customers and guests for the opening.

Despite the pressure facing industrial companies in Germany, ETE is expanding production in Essen. The company produces highly specialized steel for customers around the world, with growing demand in aerospace, medical technology and selected industrial applications. Civil aerospace currently offers particularly strong growth potential. With the new facility, annual P-ESR shipping capacity increases from approximately 1,300 tones to at least 2,600 tones.

The new unit operates at pressures of up to 40 bar and can produce ingots from 430 to 1,000 mm in diameter and weighing from 2 to 18.5 tones. In addition, other formats can be provided upon request, such as hot-rolled coils. ETE supplies high-nitrogen steels from Essen to customers in Europe, the United States and Asia for applications in aerospace, medical technology and industry.

“Essen shows what the steel industry of the future looks like: more capacity, more high-tech, made in North Rhine-Westphalia. When aircraft and surgical instruments need materials from Essen, that secures jobs here—today and tomorrow. This is cutting-edge technology from North Rhine-Westphalia that the world relies on,” said Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Specialty Steel from Essen for International Markets
One of the main materials produced using ETE’s P-ESR technology is Cronidur® 30, an HNS® used in bearings, actuators, pump components, special moulds and extruder screws.

HNS® from GMH Gruppe are also used in aerospace applications including ball screw drives, precision bearings, actuators, landing-gear and engine components. In medical technology, ETE supplies materials for medical instruments, bearings and implants.

The additional capacity means ETE can produce higher volumes within its existing production lead times, giving customers greater supply security.

Investing in Production in Essen
Pressure Electroslag Remelting allows ETE to produce High Nitrogen Steels (HNS®). During the process, pressure helps keep the nitrogen in the material as it solidifies. The required material properties are then specifically tailored through forming processes and heat treatments.

ETE has also modernized its existing Electroslag Remelting (ESR) equipment for material used in generator retaining rings. These components are used in large electrical generators for utility power plants, combined-cycle plants and industrial power generation.

ETE is also working to make production more efficient and increase its use of renewable electricity. In line with GMH Gruppe, the company aims to increase the share of renewable electricity from currently approximately 30 percent toward 50 percent.

About Energietechnik Essen GmbH

Energietechnik Essen GmbH, based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, is the global specialist in end rings for power engineering and is synonymous with safety in turbo generator applications. The company also develops and manufactures pressurised, highly corrosion-resistant martensitic cold-work steels with exceptional toughness and maximum hardness. These special steels are refined in (pressurised) electro-slag remelting facilities (P-ESR/ESR), typically using green steel blocks sourced from sister companies. ETE’s specialty steel products are primarily used in power engineering, aerospace, medical technology, and the food industry.

About GMH Gruppe

GMH Gruppe is a full-service provider of steel products, ranging from scrap-based steelmaking to ready-to-install components. It is one of Europe’s largest privately owned metal-processing companies. The group comprises more than 20 steel, forging and casting sites, serving customers in over 50 countries. With around 6,000 employees, GMH Gruppe generates annual revenues of approximately €2 billion.

GMH Gruppe has been producing steel via the electric steelmaking route using scrap for more than 30 years. At its electric steel sites, the company produces crude steel with around 80% lower CO₂ emissions than the conventional blast furnace route. By recycling steel scrap as its principal input material, GMH supports material circularity and resource efficiency. The company provides steel solutions for customers in the automotive, mechanical engineering, railway, energy, logistics, aerospace, agriculture and construction machinery sectors.

GMH Gruppe aims to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO₂ emissions from steel production to zero by 2039.
www.gmh-gruppe.de/en/