Transforming utility safety and protection Scheidt

TRANSFORMING UTILITY SAFETY AND PROTECTION

Scheidt is a technology leader in the design and manufacture of concrete units for the protection of utility installations and water treatment plants. Philip Yorke talked to Georgine Scheidt, the company’s assistant to the CEO, about its latest products and plans for further expansion.

Scheidt was founded in 1889 as a construction company and manufacturer of concrete products. Over the years it has grown to become a market leader in the design and manufacture of buildings designed to protect a wide range of utility installations. These purpose-built units are made from top-quality reinforced concrete in order to protect power plants and a wide range of other installations. Among the most important of these are pump stations, gas control units, railway control and signalling, switching units in transformer stations and telecommunication equipment.

More recently the Scheidt Group has been providing its in-depth expertise to the operators of wind power and biogas plants as well as to operators of photovoltaic energy plants. Manufacturing at Scheidt takes place at its three state-of-the-art plants in Germany. These are strategically located at Arnstadt, Hoyerswerda and at Rinteln, the company’s headquarters.

Customised turn-key solutions

In addition to being a leading provider of transformer stations for medium and low voltage equipment, Scheidt also delivers complete customised solutions to power companies as a key part of their everyday business offering. Projects start with the initial design and planning phase and run right through to the installation and commissioning of the building and its equipment. Scheidt is also very flexible in its approach: once the reinforced concrete shell is complete, the customer can decide whether Scheidt should install the electrical or sanitary equipment, or they can opt to finish the installation of equipment themselves.

The Scheidt sales network covers Germany and the whole of Europe and is

comprised of its own dedicated internal and external sales forces at each site, as well as having a network of trade representatives and other trade partners. Georgine Scheidt said, “We are a company that is always adapting to our changing market requirements and looking for niche markets to serve. We also invest continuously in new plant and technology and have recently added two new production halls at Rinteln, which has significantly increased our manufacturing capacity.

“Germany remains our biggest market today; however, we are seeing growth in all our European export markets such as the UK and the Netherlands where we work with big brands such as Schneider Electric and ALFEN b.v.. In addition, we are also seeing growth in our other export markets such as Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania, as well as in the Czech Republic and Austria.”

She added, “Our biggest market sector is the electrical energy industry, which represents around 70 per cent of our sales. Other markets, such as water, contribute 10 per cent, gas 10 per cent with infrastructure making up the balance. All of our products are tailor-made to suit our customers’ individual specifications; however, we also contribute our own ideas and innovative solutions whenever it is appropriate to do so. As a company we are a very flexible partner and as such are able to move much faster than our competitors.

“We also operate state-of-the-art facilities at our three extensive installations in Germany. For the future we plan to continue to grow organically but will keep the door open for possible joint ventures if the right conditions present themselves.”

Scheidt is acknowledged as a technology leader in its field owing to its in-house R&D facilities and matrix structure. It is also able to adapt quickly to new market requirements and is prepared to manage new energy sources as well as accommodating the latest sensitive technology that is required today for its buildings. Putting safety first

When it comes to safety and plant protection, Scheidt offers each industry optimised, tailor-made solutions. In addition to power plant protection, the company also protects two of the world’s most important elements: water and terrain. As part of its product portfolio, Scheidt prefabricates collection vessels which are used for ground-sealing systems for the safe handling and storage of liquids that are hazardous to water. The company’s modular vessels can also be equipped with fireproofing and soundproofing walls for the protection of adjacent residential areas.

In addition, Scheidt is well known for its individual switchgear stations, which can be manufactured to any size as single- or multi-storey units and come with a variety of roofing options. The fact that the individual elements are prefabricated and equipped at the company’s factory means that the entire structure can be erected and put into operation within a very short space of time.

Furthermore, concrete floor slabs can also be constructed from prefabricated concrete elements or simply cast with ‘in-situ’ concrete. Another alternative is an elevated floor made of composite wooden panels with an anti-slip coating. Transformers can be mounted on adjustable, galvanised steel transformer rails.

Scheidt is committed to staying one step ahead of its competitors with its innovative ideas and individual tailor-made solutions. That is why the company offers not only serial and standard stations, but also individual switchgear stations. n

For further details of Scheidt’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.scheidt.de