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LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG has received a major order for hydrogen technology. The world market leader will provide around 20 process cooling units for a French manufacturer of hydrogen filling stations. These will be responsible for an essential part of the refueling process – cooling the hydrogen to -40 °C – as part of the application. The filling stations will be used throughout Europe. LAUDA is stepping up its activities in the field of hydrogen technology in order to provide customers with urgently needed temperature control expertise and to make an active contribution to environmental protection. The production of green hydrogen is one of the key technologies for a successful energy turnaround.

LAUDA will manufacture industrial process cooling units of the type SUK 350 as well as industrial circulation chillers from the LAUDA Ultracool product line for the French customer. Delivery of the systems will be completed by the end of June 2022. The process cooling units will be used to cool the hydrogen pumped into the vehicle tank under high pressure with a short-term high cooling capacity. The process cooling unit provides a peak cooling capacity of 40 kW at -40 °C and was especially designed for use in hydrogen filling stations. The LAUDA Ultracool circulation chillers, which have been specially optimized for this application, are used simultaneously for cooling a high-pressure hydrogen compressor to a constant temperature of -18 °C.

The demand for professional hydrogen cooling is growing

“The order from our French partner is a clear indication for us that temperature control solutions from LAUDA are a critical high technology in the development of a functional and safe hydrogen logistics system,” says Dr. Gunther Wobser, President and CEO of LAUDA. “We have significantly increased our activities in this area in recent years and see a lot of potential for precise temperature control technology from LAUDA there.”

“We can offer the experience gained from more than 60 years of system engineering, and many customers appreciate that,” adds Alfred Semrau, managing director for Heating and Cooling Systems. “In addition to electrolysis and hydrogen refueling – two fields in which equipment and systems from us are already in operation – there are many other applications for energy-efficient cooling in the hydrogen sector. We are very much looking forward to working with our customers to develop many other exciting solutions.”

Construction of the LAUDA Group’s new production facility in Terrassa, Spain, is progressing. The temperature control specialist is building a state-of-the-art production facility in the immediate vicinity of Barcelona for the Spanish company LAUDA Ultracool S.L., which was acquired ten years ago for the development and production of circulation chillers. After the laying of the foundation stone in January 2021, LAUDA expects the building to be completed and LAUDA Ultracool S.L. and its sales subsidiary LAUDA Ibérica Soluciones Técnicas S.L. to move in during the first quarter of 2022. LAUDA is investing around 7 million euros in the new building in Spain.

The new production facility means that LAUDA will double its production and storage area for industrial circulation chillers, which are used e.g. for cooling in the field of mechanical and system engineering. LAUDA is therefore continuing to drive forward the continuously positive development of its Spanish subsidiary and is meeting the growing global demand for energy-efficient temperature control solutions. Approximately 4,000 m² of new production space and more than 850 m² of office space will be created on the 9,000 m² site. "With the new building, LAUDA Ultracool is consistently gearing up for growth," explains Dr. Marc Stricker, COO at LAUDA and responsible for Development and Production. "We are not only increasing the production capacities of our Spanish subsidiary but have also deliberately created new office space to further expand the operational and technical capacities of LAUDA Ultracool," continues Dr. Stricker.

Sustainability and energy efficiency were important factors in the construction of the new complex. For example, concrete slabs with enhanced thermal insulation were used to minimize energy losses. Photovoltaic systems with a peak output of 310 kWp will be installed on the roof to generate electricity for the company’s internal consumption. As a result, LAUDA Ultracool will cover 65 percent of its internal electricity consumption and save emissions amounting to 104 tons of CO₂ per year.

Representatives of the parent company's management team were able to see the progress for themselves during a site visit. “We are delighted that the new building is progressing well despite the difficult pandemic situation and the global resource bottlenecks,” said President and CEO, Dr. Gunther Wobser. "The expansion of the site in Spain is of enormous importance for the strategic growth of the LAUDA Group. Not only are we meeting the demand for industrial circulation chillers by increasing production capacity, but overall we are strengthening the future viability of industrial temperature control technology."

The Bavarian Minister of State for Digital Affairs, Judith Gerlach, has awarded LAUDA DR. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG in the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg. Thereby, the politician, who heads the first nationwide Ministry for Digital Affairs only in 2018, was able to get an idea of the digitalization and innovation activities of the world market leader for precise temperature control. In lively discussion rounds, the participants, including the three managing directors of LAUDA, Dr. Gunther Wobser, Dr. Marc Stricker and Dr. Mario Englert, as well as the managing director of new.degree, Birgit Dillmann, were able to constructively discuss the insights gained and exchange practical views with the Minister of State on necessary measures for the digitization of German SMEs.

Judith Gerlach gained a detailed insight into the digital agenda of the medium-sized company from Tauber-Franconia at three stations that had been specially prepared for the minister at LAUDA's headquarters. For example, Managing Director Dr. Marc Stricker impressed her with a hands-on presentation of LAUDA.LIVE, a digital platform that allows temperature control units to be controlled, networked and monitored in real time via a cloud application. In addition to a virtual reality demonstration of the virtual LAUDA showroom, the managing director of Brainstation GmbH & Co. KG, Lisa Straub, wowed the audience with a detailed presentation of the vision of a supra-regional innovation center that is to be built at the Lauda train station.

"Digitization knows no borders," said Judith Gerlach in her keynote speech at the event. Direct exchange like here at LAUDA is important, especially in times of Corona. After all, it's all about changing structures and processes. The momentum that digitization has gained from the pandemic must now become a pendulum movement.