Since the beginning of 2006, RWE Power has been erecting two pulverised lignite-fired blocks with supercritical steam conditions (PCF). In July 2007, the world’s largest mobile crane (3,000 tons of weight, 207 metres of height) is putting the boiler holders with a weight of150 tons into their place. The erection of the world’s most modern lignite-fired is entering its decisive stage and the starting signal for the EHR team’s fitting mission is about to be given. It is the EHR’s task, jointly with their consortium partner Kraftanlagen München (KAM) to do the planning, engineering, manufacturing and installation of the high-pressure piping systems for the water-steam systems of the power plant blocks. EHR is the leader of the consortium and is going to provide about 60 % of the overall contract value of €170m. A total of almost 5,000 tons of piping with a length of more than 20 km is going to be manufactured at the Essen and Dortmund workshops and fitted afterwards.

The leading manufacturing technology of EHR has been particularly sought-after since modern power plants work within ever increasing temperature and pressure ranges. This is why new material alloys with increasing wall thicknesses (up to 100 mm of wall thickness) are permanently being developed, which in return leads to extremely demanding welding technologies.

Here you can take a live look at the construction site using our webcam.

The new power plant in Hamburg’s port is scheduled to be connected to the public grid in 2012. Two blocks with a power of 820 MW each are planned. 450 MW of thermal power can be decoupled for district heating. In order to connect the new plant to Hamburg’s district heating system, a long-distance pipeline is going to be built, which will be lead from underneath the port and River Elbe to the district of Altona. EHR and BBS (Babcock Borsig Service GmbH) have been contracted by Vattenfall for the engineering of the high-pressure piping systems for the two blocks and, with the reservation of a construction permit, also for the supply, pre-fitting and installation. 1,250 tons of pipes, 55 tons of fittings, 200 tons of supporting structures and 50 tons of forged steel will be deployed just for one block alone. Material P92 would be used for the live steam and intermediate superheating systems. The bendings of the pipes for the intermediate superheating systems could be manufactured using inductive methods on the new bending machines at the EHR workshop in Dortmund.

Following a deconstruction down to three blocks and modernisation, Block R with a power of 670 MW will be newly built until 2011. Along with their consortium partner Babcock Borsig Service GmbH (BBS), EHR were contracted by Vattenfall Europe Generation AG & Co KG in Cottbus to manufacture the high-pressure pipes for the new block. The order comprises the planning, manufacturing and installation for the water-steam cycle with about 1,450 tons of pipes, 70 tons of fittings, 230 tons of supporting structures and 50 tons of forged steel. The new block is going to be laid out for high pressures and temperatures according to up-to-date parameters. We will manufacture the pipeline components in our workshops in Dortmund and Essen and install them on site afterwards. The engineering work has already started.

In Europe, submerged arc welding “made at EHR workshop Dortmund” is a known quality term, particularly when it comes to welding thick-walled containers and hydraulic cylinders. You can see it in the photo, and here is a description of the photo: two joints on cylinders of 63 tons of weight each, with an outside diameter of 2,050 mm and a wall thickness of 422 mm, made from material St52.3. In order to manufacture each welding joint, approximately 800 kg of submerged arc welding wire and 1,000 kg of granular fusible flux were deployed. Both pieces were heat-treated in an oven. The non-destructive testing procedure of the welding joints was carried out according to customer specifications following manufacturing and confirmed the flawless quality.

If the lifeline of an air fractionation plant, i. e. the oxygen transmission pipe, is laid jointly with a drinking water supply pipe in a joint inverted siphon underneath the Rhine Herne Canal, even TV broadcasters are attracted to the site. Five truck-mounted cranes hook the 80 tons heavy and 65 metres long inverted siphon, which has been pre-fitted, welded, checked and insulated on a site near the docks by EHR specialists. Now the siphon is being launched, hooked into an installation catamaran and hauled with a hatched barge to the installation site. On the 22 March 2007, the inverted siphon is being turned into its final position across the waterway and being lowered into its prepared siphon bed. Perfect technology, perfect logistics, perfect timing and a high degree of safety – guaranteed by the specialists of EHR.

There had already been an order in 1994 – at that time for Mannesmann Anlagenbau – but in 1995, all work was stopped. Now nuclear power plant Atucha 2 in Argentina shall be completed. On 25 January 2007, Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. (NASA) and EHR signed a letter of intent in Buenos Aires. EHR are going to deliver the primary piping systems including the main coolant pipe, the surge line, the moderator system and the pressurising system as well as the live steam piping system in the reactor building. The order also includes the delivery of installation tools. In September 2007, one year of installation work is to start, which is going to be carried out together with local Argentinean installation personnel. As of immediate effect, the technical work and planning are done at the Dortmund works, and as of April/May all necessary project specific welding qualifications (welding process exams/work process exams) are carried out on site in Atucha.

EHR is going to present its performance as the European market leader in high-pressure piping systems for power plants on the Russia Power 2007 from 29 to 31 May 2007 in Moscow. Please come and visit our joint stand of Bilfinger Berger Power Services, Stand No. C/6. We are looking forward to the opportunity of introducing your contact partners of the new Moscow EHR office to you.

EHR is preparing for the future and is extending their headquarters building on Wolbeckstrasse in Altenessen. This will create about 50 new secure jobs for engineers, technicians and business professionals. Currently, the Essen based company employs nearly 1,000 staff at the headquarters and in the branches in Hamburg, Osterode, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Leuna, Stuttgart and Munich. Extension cost will be at approximately EUR 1.5m. In the last three years, EHR has invested about EUR 3m in the north of Essen and the extension of their headquarters in order to be even better prepared for the processing of large orders for new power plant projects with all German utilities.

EHR stands for innovation, international commitment, concentration on own grown power, perspectives for the future and the ability to meet the ever changing challenges of markets and technology.
The new EHR logo reflects the strengths of the company and is therefore clear, concise and modern. Green on white or white on green. Those corporate colours are unique on the market, represent a successful tradition and are going to be used further on. With its no-frills typography and straight-forward powerfulness the brand signposts demand and ability to globally supply outstanding products and services in the areas of high-pressure pipings and construction for power plants. This is what EHR Engineering & Construction stands for. We show our affiliation with our holding company Bilfinger Berger Power Services by using a “submark.” The visual image in prints, advertisements, internet site, vehicle advertising decoration etc. is going to be gradually adjusted to the new corporate design.

In South Africa, a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) is currently under construction. The idea of the high-temperature reactor (HTR/THTR), which was developed in Germany, has been actively advanced on an international scale. South Africa’s PBMR Ltd., a subsidiary of the national electrical utility ESKOM, placed an order for the development and design of the hot-cycle piping system for the pebble bed modular reactor, worth €1.7bn. Inside the reactor core, the granular fissile material forms a heap of pebbles and is embedded in graphite pebbles – hence the name for the reactor. The graphite works as a moderator, helium is used as the primary coolant.

EHR can re-deploy their expert knowledge, which was accumulated over decades, when it comes to realising the special technology of the hot-cycle piping system. However, the complexity of the order does not only lie in the design of the double-walled piping system but also in the integration of the latter into the boundary as well as the development of a joint concept for manufacturing and assembly. The project is going to be filled with life in four design stages in 2007

West of Kolkata, Russia’s power plant constructor OJSC Power Machines has been erecting lignite-fuelled power plant SIPAT (3 x 660 MW). For the three blocks, EHR is going to supply the high-pressure feedwater pipes to the Indian state of Chhattisgarh in 2007, following detailed engineering and pre-manufacturing in the Dortmund shop. When specifying materials and processing, not only ASME but also IBR (Indian Boiler Regulation) will apply. The order value stands at about € 20 m.

Essener Hochdruck-Rohrleitungsbau (EHR), a company with a long tradition, will change hands: Following the approval by the anti-trust authorities on 16 June 2006, Bilfinger Berger AG of Mannheim will acquire EHR, Europe’s market leader in high-pressure piping systems for power plants and industrial plants.

Upon signing an acquisition agreement on 17 May 2006 and subject to approval by the anti-trust authorities, Bilfinger Berger AG, Mannheim, acquired all shares of EHR. EHR is going to become a part of the Bilfinger Berger’s leading unit “Bilfinger Berger Power Services GmbH”.

The legal autonomy of EHR GmbH will be maintained, and with it the successful development of EHR as the successor to Mannesmann Anlagenbau – particularly in the power plant business. The demand for energy and modernisation is increasing worldwide. A financial power adequate for the growing market and complimentary services of the corporate group will facilitate a further expansion of the business activities with excellent prospects.

Press release Bilfinger Berger

www.bilfinger.de

Young engineers have bright prospects at EHR since there is sweeping success in the market, and many new power plant projects are going to be realised within the next few years.

A practically oriented qualification prepares the engineers for their responsible positions of project managers. Whether in the area of installation or in the project departments of the individual business areas of the company – besides the technical fields, the young engineers acquire hands-on experience in calculation, contract management, commercial project processing and quality management in the course of the trainee programme.

The first extension of the headquarters with the new building for the process planning of the Essen branch and quality management is showing positive effects.

With the second extension, EHR set the course for prospective major projects in new power plants and upgrades their Essen location to a competence centre for conventional power plant piping. In order to obtain a further 470 sqm of additional office space for up to 40 new workplaces, a new storey is erected on top of the headquarters building (see photo-mounting on the left-hand side). Completion has been scheduled for the end of 2006.

In the business world, overnight courier services have become nothing in particular for letters and parcels. But how does that work for twelve spools with a total weight of 35.3 tons that have to be shipped from Dortmund in Germany to Thailand – shipping order on a Friday?

The situation: Twelve inductive bendings have been ordered earlier than scheduled by our customer Alstom Power Switzerland to the construction site Kaeng Khoi 2 (2 combined-cycle blocks of 400 MW output each). The advantage: The parts are practically finished. The drawback: they are still in the bending workshop. So, on Friday afternoon the lorries hit the road and transport the parts to the workshop in Dortmund. On Saturday and Sunday the spools are sand-blasted, greased on the inside, painted with anti-rust priming coat on the outside, capped, marked and colour-coded.

Simultaneously, six air cargo crates are being built since a Galaxy, that cargo plane with the lift-up nose, is planned to be loaded with the urgent delivery on Tuesday. On Saturday a message is received that only a Boeing 747 Cargo, that is the cargo plane with side doors that allow only loading of “smaller” crates, will be available. So, new crates must be built. And the final customer from Thailand has already announced his visit. It goes without saying that EHR has delivered just in time. To cut a long story short … have a nice weekend..

€ 12m is the order value for the supply and installation of the water-and-steam cycle of Combined-Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) Hamm-Uentrop. 400 tons of piping for on that modern combined-cycle power plant with its two 400 MW blocks have been scheduled for the period between July 2006 and January 2007. Siemens Power Generation, Erlangen, is the general contractor and employer to EHR.

Building and operation of the plant are a hitherto unique joint project of 28 municipal utilities from Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. Trianel, the name of the business venture, will be generating energy for its own shareholders and help them become more independent from the increasingly more dramatic fluctuations of the wholesale prices of electricity.

It is literally a day to be celebrated at the EHR. You look back and are happy about past performance, you look ahead, plan for the future, and it is celebration time. As every year, EHR pays homage to the jubilee members of the past year at a festive event. There were two 45-year jubilees to be celebrated: Ms Ute Eckhardt and Mr Karl-Heinz Domes. The management appreciated the performance of all jubilee members and gave a positive outlook into the future of the company.

As a direct successor of Mannesmann Anlagenbau, EHR is taking part in “Olkiluoto3” in Finland, the currently largest nuclear power plant under construction, by supplying the main pipe work and is also addressing the international business by establishing branch offices in South Africa, says Ronald Diehl, CEO of EHR. “The most valuable potential of a sound company are the co-workers,” he went on, and consequently, 1.190 jubilee years were celebrated accordingly.

In January 2006, EHR entered South Africa’s resurgent energy market by establishing a branch office. The country’s demand for energy has been rising, and the energy infrastructure is to be extended.

According to Ronald Diehl, CEO of EHR, the company is not taking chances as they can build on the vast experience of their former holding Mannnesmann Anlagenbau, who planned and implemented high-pressure pipe work for a number of power plants in that region. Examples are Kriel, Tutuka, Matimba, Kendal and Majuba. There are currently a number of orders and enquiries for the high-temperature piping systems in South Africa’s PBMR project (Pebble Bed Modular Reactor).

39 % of EHR South Africa is held by the Essen based holding via EHR German Piping Systems, 33 % by the local company KOG Fabrications and 28 % by the local branch’s managing director, Shirley Chaukes. This ensures the performance and the implementation of EHR’s know-how. African staff members are to be qualified in an company-internal apprenticeship and training programme.

South Africa is looking forward to the commencement of EHR activities. As a world-wide renowned company in the areas of high-pressure and high-temperature pipe work with successful research initiatives, own plants as well as services that comprise design, construction, delivery, fitting, order processing and after-sales services, EHR will also be a much sought-after specialist for technically demanding welding work in South Africa.

19 October 2005, 1pm: On the premises of EHR in Essen, the topping-out wreath is brought to the top of the shell of the new two-storey office building. The senior management of EHR, the general contractor Wansing & Partner, the architect and representatives of the construction crews followed the good old tradition to thank the architect and the owner by toasting and to ask for the blessing on the building by breaking a drinking glass on the wall.

When they move in as of the middle of December, the departments of “process planning for manufacturing, Essen shop” and “quality management” will be moving closer to manufacturing and provide further increased efficiency.

“Power meets Kyoto - Energy and Environment in the EU 25” was the motto of this year’s VGB congress in Krakow from 28 to 30 September 2005. High-ranking officials from politics and the utilities joined in discussions with four representatives of EHR and about 900 participants from 25 nations about current issues and strategies of future energy generation and supply at this international power plant congress.

The further development of its range of power plants requires an enormous strength from the EU and their 25 member states. The power plants are becoming of old age, on the average. For that reason alone more than 200 gigawatts of power plant performance will need to be replaced within the next 15 to 20 years.

The leading representatives of power plant operators and manufacturers discussed about how the demands on the future fleet of power plant could be brought into accordance with environmental protection, safety of energy supply and economic operation.

EHR was at the congress with a delegation of four and, in addition, with a presentation stand. The forum was accepted with enthusiasm and was successfully used for intensive personal discussions with the international experts about EHR's engagement and portfolio of services.

In Thailand, Kaeng Khoi 2 is going to be erected, a power plant with two combined-cycle blocks of about 400 MW each. Alstom Power Switzerland has awarded the contract for the planning, pre-manufacturing and supply of high-pressure steam pipes along with the necessary ancillary to the EHR subsidiary in Stuttgart.

The planning of the entire power plant in a three-dimensional model is being carried out interdisciplinary at several locations around the globe: high-pressure pipes in Germany, medium and low-pressure pipes in India, fittings for the high-pressure pipes in the Netherlands, steel construction, concrete and turbines in Switzerland, waste-heat boilers and boiler-internal pipes “down under”. A synchronized planning status of all parties involved is ensured by daily data exchange.

A similar challenge is posed by material procurement: 468 t of high-temperature steel pipes and fittings (P91, P22 and P11) have been ordered from countries all over the world, among them the USA and Japan, to be delivered to the EHR plant in Dortmund. A period of four months is the time available for the pre-manufacturing of the spools of block 1 (about 200 t) according to ASME. Packed into containers, everything will be shipped to the site in Thailand. The pipes will be accepted on site by an Authorized Inspector according to the strict American “Boiler External Piping” regulations.

The EHR team successfully works for the implementation of a complex and demanding planning, logistics and technical solutions under tight time constraints – in Stuttgart and all around the world.

Even a sudden rainstorm could not distract the helicopter pilot from his task. The EHR site management had organised for the “airborne lorry”, which carried the 1,600-kilogram silencer precisely onto the 120-metre high rooftop of Block F at E.ON Power Plant in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven. The EHR technicians of the Sunday shift released this important component off the helicopter, which was an extremely difficult task to accomplish as the components has a diameter of 2.2 m and a height of 2.6 m. The assembly of the 700 °C-component testing plant COMTES 700 was completed by the end of June 2005.

At Block F of Scholven Power Plant, the basis for the erection of highly efficient large power plants shall be laid with the long-term operation of the yet-to-be-installed testing plant COMTES 700, which has a live steam temperature of about 700 °C. This will help increase the net efficiency rate to 50 %, and go along with a significant reduction of both the fuel consumption and the emission levels.

A consortium under the leadership of EHR was contracted by E.ON Kraftwerke GmbH for the assembly of two high-pressure steam superheaters, 2,500 metres of high-pressure piping, 200 fittings and controls and the reinforcement of the steel construction. The work was carried out during an eight-week maintenance period in May and June 2005 For the piping, fittings and controls, the nickel-based materials Alloy617, austenitic and martensitic high-temperature materials such as P91 and P92 were deployed. Besides the requirements of the assembly logistics, high demands were made on the material and welding technology.

It is going to be the first new nuclear power plant in Europe for more than 20 years, and EHR is going to be a part of it. In western Finland, at Olkiluoto, the Framatome ANP and Siemens Power Generation (PG) consortium is going to erect the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant with its innovative European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). The EPR for Finland is planned to have about 1,600 Megawatts and is thus going to become the world's most powerful power plant. Commercial operation shall commence in 2009.
The high-pressure piping system of LOT 1 in the Turbine Island, advertised by Siemens PG , was awarded to the EHR/BBS consortium at the beginning of March. The contract comprises the live steam and feed water piping with a total tonnage of 1,450 tonnes and includes detailed engineering, supply, pre-manufacturing and installation. The installation work is already going to commence in July 2006 and shall be completed in December 2007.

A new induction-bending plant has been put into operation at the EHR shop in Dortmund. The company has just invested EUR 350,000 in the computer-based control and measuring system as well as in the new electrical installation. Why? Because also tubes and pipes need to “get around the bend.” Pipe bends (also known as " elbows") used to be welded in. Nowadays, pipes with a diameter of up to 358 mm and a wall thickness of up to 70 mm are being bent. This increases the quality, plant safety and the technological leadership of EHR. Twenty years of experience in and development of this type of technology and high-alloyed piping materials with ever narrowing radii have helped establish the EHR shop at Dortmund as an acknowledged specialist.

The central task: Exchanging a pipe bundle. 3 x 8 pipes, with a weight of about 12 tonnes and a length of about 18 metres. Five months from the commencement of plant designer Jacobs Project GmbH until the end of the 18-day downtime period were sufficient for the engineering and pre-manufacturing because the work could be carried out at the EHR shop Essen and in Mülheim. The procurement of a large quantity of cast mounting brackets for the furnace piping made from the special material HP45 Mod was organised from there.

On site: Snow and temperatures of down to 25 °C below freezing during removal and installation of the pipe bundles. Two mobile cranes were used in the tandem lifting process. Under the extremely cramped condition inside the furnace, a “well-oiled” and experienced team made sure that the matter ended as a success. As always, safety and entirely professional conduct of each individual staff had taken top priority at the course of that complex procedure. The living proof for that is not so much an accident count of zero or the appraisal received in Esso’s job check report but much more the reduced downtime at the turnaround. When plants are down, EHR is the safe and particularly fast answer.

"Pipelines in power and chemical plants Long-distance pipelines - European harmonisation and national regulations" is the topic of the meeting of the German Association of Steam Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Piping Manufacturers (Fachverband Dampfkessel-, Behälter- und Rohrleitungsbau e.V (FDBR)) on 15 and 16 March 2005 in Stuttgart.

EHR specialist Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Wellnitz is going to contribute to the formulation of manuals for selected pipelines with regards to the topic group of "European standardisation and harmonisation" on 15 March at 10 am.

As of 4.30 pm, our calculation specialist Dr.-Ing Jochen Weber will be in the centre of attention. He is going to explain the results of the practical applications of the joint FDBR and VGB* research project for the calculation of the creep behaviour in pipeline bends.

The concomitant exhibition will provide a look into the services and products of companies in the field of pipelining, their suppliers and software development. EHR is going to have their own stand. You are invited to visit us.

* VGB PowerTech e.V.= European technical association for power and heat generation (Europäischer Fachverband für Strom- und Wärmeerzeugung)

An incomprehensible, a horrible natural disaster has struck millions of people in the area of South Asia and has been threatening them with misery and despair. Aid is desperately needed on the spot. This is why EHR has made an immediate donation at the amount of EUR 5,000.00 and initiated a fund-raising campaign among their staff.
The appeal: "Let us help jointly according to the motto: EHR helps." If you would like to make your contribution in order to relief the dire straits, please transfer your donation to

Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
Sparkasse Bonn
Bank Code: 380 500 00
Account No. 2020
Reason for Payment: Erdbeben-Südasien (Tsunami South Asia)