Construction to start on new iron foundry in autumn

German company Hydrotec plans to build a new iron foundry in its home town of Wildeshausen by the end of 2024. The chairman of Hydrotec’s board, Uwe Brinkschulte, has criticised the lengthy approval processes involved.

The medium-sized company plans to invest around €20 million in the foundry, as reported by kreiszeitung.de in August. Although there was a cheaper option of relocating the entire business to the Jade-Weser-Port near Wilhelmshaven on Germany’s north coast, the family decided to remain loyal to Wildeshausen and invest there. The foundry project is expected to receive planning permission in October after a process that has so far taken around two years, the businessman says. He feels this has proven long and costly: “It hasn’t exactly been German efficiency at work.”

Extensive planning was required to prepare the various applications for the new iron foundry. In the process, around 4,700 pages of documentation were filled out with results from specialist professionals. The new plant is due to be one of the most advanced in Europe and to have a positive effect in terms of combating climate change. The company procures 40,000 tonnes of cast iron each year, which it then processes. “We will be producing 15,000 tonnes of this here, preventing 6,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by requiring fewer transports,” says Brinkschulte. Production takes place in two phases. The parts the company makes are up to 50 by 50 centimetres in size and, for example, include manhole covers.