German Pellets

German Pellets GmbH
Limited liability company
(GmbH)
Industry wood
Founded 2005
Headquarters Wismar, Germany
Key people
 Peter H. Leibold (managing director)
Revenue 519 million EUR (2012) [1]
Number of employees
 around 650 (07/2013)
Website www.german-pellets.de/en.html

German Pellets is a German production company based in Wismar, Germany.[2] The company produces various kinds of wood pellets for pellet heating and pellet ovens and animal hygiene products for horses, large and small animals.[3] German Pellets produces high-level premium pellets, which are DINplus and ENplus A1 certified. Furthermore, the company is now producing industrial pellets for large combustion systems.[4] It was founded in 2005 by Peter H. Leibold and its first plant constructed in Wismar.

The company operates worldwide, with a particular focus on Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It has 19 production sites in Germany, Austria and the United States,[5] with a yearly output of 2.2 million tons per year (status August 2013) and a second US plant planned.[6][7] It is the largest manufacturer and distributor of wood pellets in Europe[8] and claims to be the world's largest.[9] Its dealer network includes more than 100 fuel dealers in Germany. On February 10, 2016, the company filed for insolvency in self-administration.[10]

Business area

German Pellets is producing wood pellets of different qualities for pellet heating and pellet ovens, for industry boiler plants, for heat supply of house building, industry, business, municipality and for combined heat and power stations.

Pellet Production

Pellets are pressed from dried wood shavings, of which two different types of primary materials are used. Residual wood from sawmills is used, taking the wood chips and the sawdust, both conventionally seen as waste or by-products. For a few years now the company has also produced their own wood chippings; alongside the residual wood material, they make use of "industrial" wood which is unsuitable for sawing. The wood is then debarked and then reduced to course chips. Following this process, the chippings are then introduced into the pellet manufacturing process. The chips are further crushed in the hammer mills to the desired particle size, dried and then pelletized. To do this, the chip layer is conditioned with superheated steam and pressed through a steel die, similar to a meat grinder. Temperature, humidity and pressure assure that the wood's own lignin, a polymer that is responsible for the firmness in the plant issue, liquidizes. Through the subsequent cooling, during which the lignin hardens again, the pellets achieve their firmness. They are stored in silos before they are either bagged or transported by truck.

Quality Wood Pellets

Wood pellets are a standardized fuel. German Pellets GmbH produces high-level Premium Pellets, which are DINplus and ENplus A1 certified. These pellets are suited for small firing systems. Furthermore, the company is now producing industrial pellets for large combustion systems.

Locations

Locations in Germany

LocationFederal state
WismarMecklenburg-West Pomerania
HerbrechtingenBaden-Württemberg
EttenheimBaden-Württemberg
ErndtebrückNorth Rhine-Westphalia
TorgauSaxony
WilburgstettenBavaria
LöbauSaxony
OranienbaumSaxony-Anhalt
OsterfeldSaxony-Anhalt
PfarrkirchenBavaria
WunsiedelBavaria

Locations in Austria

LocationFederal state
MattighofenUpper Austria
Oberweis/GmundenUpper Austria
AbtenauSalzburg

Locations in the United States

LocationFederal state
WoodvilleTexas
UraniaLouisiana
Port ArthurTexas

FireStixx-partner factories in Germany

LocationFederal state
HengersbergBavaria
IngolstadtBavaria
VilshofenBavaria
Fuchstal-AschBavaria

Sale of pellets

German Pellets sells its pellets throunghout Europe via an area-wide dealer network. In Germany more than 100 dealers of fuels offer the pellets.

Subsidiaries

German Pellets has several subsidiaries, including an Austrian subsidiary and one that offers its pellets as a green investment trading vehicle. The German Horse Pellets GmbH, the German Pellets Wärme GmbH, the German Pellets Genussrechte GmbH, the FireStixx Holz-Energie GmbH and the Austrian Hot'ts/Glechner-Gruppe are belonging to the German Pellets group.

German Horse Pellets GmbH

Founded in 2008 the German Horse Pellets GmbH is specialised to the development and sale of animal hygiene products. The production of woodchips, granules and pellets for horses, large and small animals take place at the production sites Wismar (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania) and Wilburgstetten (Bavaria). All products are based on natural raw materials and manufactured without supplementing additives.

German Pellets Wärme GmbH

The German Pellets Wärme GmbH offers full packages of warmth. They are planning, building and financing all measures, which are necessary for renovation, installation or building of pellet heating plants.[11]

German Pellets Genussrechte GmbH

The pellet producer offers investment vehicles via the German Pellets Genussrechte GmbH. It was founded in 2010. Wooden pellets as a financial investment have become part of green investments or ethical investments.

FireStixx Holz-Energie GmbH

The FireStixx Holz-Energie GmbH as acquired by German Pellets group in 2011. Since 2001 they have concentrated on the commerce and production of wood pellets. They have a network of pellet dealers and producers.

Hot'ts-/Glechner-Gruppe, Glechner GesmbH

On 1 January 2012, Glechner GesmbH was acquired by German Pellets group. They have several production sites in Austria. Since 1996, they have been producing and selling wood pellets.

German Pellets Holding Italia

Italian operating subsidiary; founded 2012, acquired Ely S.p.A. in December 2012.[12][13]

References

  1. ↑ German Pellets GmbH: Wir brennen für erneuerbare Energien, retrieved 23 August 2013 (in German)
  2. ↑ Brück, Mario; Stölzel, Thomas; Schnitzler, Lothar; Steinkirchner, Peter (13 November 2009). "Holzpellets: Wärmende Nische für German Pellets". Wirtschaftswoche (in German). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "Neuer Anlauf für Heizwerk". Badische Zeitung. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Lindemann, Peter (2008-05-28). "Guter Rat, bessere Chancen". Focus.de. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Morris, Craig (15 November 2012). "German Pellets sets up new plant in Texas". Renewables International. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "German Pellets to Build Second US Pellet Plant". Forest Bio Energy Review. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "German Pellets plans second giant wood pellet plant in U.S." Biomass Magazine. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Unternehmensanleihe: Warm ums Herz" (in German). T-Online. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Holzverarbeiter German Pellets expandiert in USA". Lübecker Nachrichten (in German). 13 August 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "German Pellets files for insolvency in self-administration". Reuters. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "German Pellets: Aus Solutions wird Wärme". brennstoffspiegel.de (in German). 9 January 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  12. ↑ "Independent Power Producers and Energy Traders: Company Overview of Ely S.p.A." Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "German Pellets: Gründet Tochtergesellschaft in Italien" (in German). Gabot.de. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

Further reading

  • Fischer, Klaus (7 July 2010). "German Pellets baut neue Verwaltung". Badische Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  • "German Pellets GmbH". Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  • "German Pellets GmbH (Environmental Expert)". Retrieved 4 September 2013.
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