3 questions for... our founder and managing director Michael Gammel

3 questions for... our founder and managing director Michael Gammel

You focused on renewable energy sources when you founded Gammel Engineering over 34 years ago: Why and what was the zeitgeist like back then?

My studies in supply engineering in Munich were accompanied by massive socio-political discussions about the construction of the WAA in Wackersdorf. Ludwig Bölkow's vision of a hydrogen-based energy economy also came about during this time. My childhood and youth in the simple circumstances of my parents' home shaped my aversion to the throwaway society. I was therefore always particularly interested in resource efficiency, sustainability, quality, products and services and cascading or multiple use. In the meantime, the ideas from the founding phase of our company have long since become part of our DNA. The technology has evolved, but the fire of enthusiasm for renewable energies and highly efficient decentralized energy systems as well as energy efficiency is still burning. I am glad that these topics have inspired and fascinated me throughout my entire professional life. Never once have I had to question the purpose of what we do, but have worked on the energy of the future with our project developments and planning services.

Today, the topics of sustainability and climate neutrality are at the top of the agenda in companies and society: as a pioneer in "green energy concepts", what thoughts are going through your mind in view of the paradigm shift?

In discussions and presentations, it often turns out: "We engineers can do the energy transition! Let us work and give us the necessary framework conditions!" The biggest hurdles on the road to zero emissions are clinging to old habits, a lack of creativity and dangerous frugality in the wrong places - including among many decision-makers in politics and business.

If environmental and climate damage from the use of fossil fuels is also assessed, many decisions in favor of sustainable renewable energies will be easier and faster. We are losing valuable time in the energy transition - our children and grandchildren demand decisive action! In this situation, I am pleased that the energy transition is rapidly gaining momentum from the grassroots, that many responsible people are investing in renewable energies and energy efficiency and are clearly opting for climate protection. Surveys confirm the accelerating support. This trend in the global community is encouraging and can no longer be stopped by encrusted, backward-looking structures.

Which project are you particularly proud of?

A very difficult question - all of the GE team's projects bear our signature and thus reflect our mission. A reason for me to be proud of the performance of everyone in our dedicated engineering team and their work results!

We have underpinned our sustainability market leadership with 30 combined heat and power plants based on untreated wood and more than 250 wood chip heating plants. These plants have local and district heating networks and supply neighborhoods and even cities. Equally innovative are combined heat, power and cooling plants for industry and commerce, often combined with energy recovery and cascaded use

One exciting project was the use of waste heat from the silicon drawing process at Wacker in Burghausen for an adhesive production process - instead of discharging this valuable energy unused into the Alz canal. The feeding of waste heat from the smelting plant at BMW in Landshut into the plant network for the production of absorber cooling in addition to combined heat and power plants is also a very innovative system with a considerable impact on CO2 emissions in production.