Ormazabal Lays the Foundation Stone for Its New Industrial Headquarters in Germany
The new facilities, backed by a €10 million investment, will become the company’s headquarters for Central and Eastern Europe.
With 12,000 m² of floor space and a workforce of more than 70 employees, the site will offer advanced automation and digitalisation capabilities, as well as the flexibility to tailor solutions to local market requirements.
The start of construction, scheduled for completion in 2027, was marked by a ceremony attended by local authorities and a full delegation from Ormazabal.
Ormazabal, a company specialising in technological solutions for electricity networks, has laid the foundation stone for its new industrial headquarters in Krefeld, Germany, at an institutional event attended by local authorities and company representatives.
This new industrial centre, which will serve as the future headquarters for Germany and the Central and Eastern European region, is designed to modernise Ormazabal’s capabilities in a country where it has maintained a presence for more than 20 years. The €10 million investment forms part of the company’s growth and consolidation strategy in the European market and responds to increasing demand for advanced solutions that enable more sustainable, digital and resilient electricity networks.
The new facility will comprise 12,000 m² and employ a team of more than 70 professionals. It will focus on providing engineering services, delivering the technical implementation of projects and adapting solutions to the specific requirements of the local market, supported by a high degree of automation and digitalisation.
Through this development, Ormazabal further strengthens its long-term industrial and technological strategy in Germany, where it employs close to one hundred people. The company also provides engineering solutions, after-sales support and other services from the country, in combination with a local manufacturing operation.
During the ceremony, Krefeld’s Mayor, Frank Meyer, highlighted the project’s impact on the local economy:
“With this investment, Ormazabal is reinforcing its long-term commitment to Krefeld as a business hub, combining international industrial expertise with a clear commitment to the region and to the technology required for the development and operation of energy infrastructure.”
Markus Kiefer, Head of Ormazabal Germany, emphasised the strategic significance of the investment:
“The expansion of electricity networks is one of the key challenges of the energy transition. With this new centre, we are creating even better conditions to provide technologies for the German market and adapt them to individual requirements.”
Driving SF6-Free Technology
This industrial commitment also responds to the needs of the electricity sector, shaped by the European Union’s new F-gas regulation, which promotes the gradual phase-out of SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride), a gas traditionally used as an electrical insulating medium in medium-voltage switchgear. This regulatory change is generating significant growth in demand for medium-voltage solutions that do not rely on this compound.
In this context, Ormazabal develops innovative switchgear insulated with “industrial natural air”, which operates without fluorinated gases and enables the safe and efficient operation of electricity networks.
The company is committed to using widely proven technical parameters in order to ensure service continuity, reduce operational risks and facilitate a reliable transition to SF6-free technologies for network operators. In this regard, the Krefeld centre is expected to play a key role in adapting these solutions to the specific needs of the German market.
The new Krefeld facility will perform a strategic role in the technical adaptation of these solutions. Among other aspects, the centre will address requirements relating to grid connection conditions, the specifications of the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), and the particular demands of German network operators.
