Multi-million investment in Torgelow

The iron foundry Torgelow plans to invest five million euros into a storage heater, in order to meet the growing demand for and cope with the increasing size of cast parts for off-shore wind energy and the energy transformation.

Such a storage heater system would make it possible to keep up to 150 tons of molten material ready for the casting process – ideal for the larger and larger cast parts needed e.g. to expand the use of wind power. Hans-Ulrich Boldau, technical managing director of the foundry, explains that in the future, components with a weight of up to 120 tons are to be produced for this purpose. Until now it has been necessary to produce the melt in several steps. The storage heater, intended to start operation in May 2024, is set to change all that. The large cast motor housings are for example to be used for hydrogen motors for ships and energy providers.

The company in Torgelow is part of the Silbitz Group GmbH and has more than 300 employees, and is an important industrial employer in Western Pomerania. It produces large, heavy parts for wind power generators, for example rotor hubs, transmission housings and motor housings. For melting, the company uses electricity, 70 percent of which are obtained from renewable sources. In order to secure the future of the site, Boldau demanded a government-induced cap for the cost of electricity for industrial purposes. He said that Spanish competitors would profit from such a cap and hence have the advantage.