AERZEN Group integrates GPE TurboTurbo expertise for the process gas portfolio
AERZEN, a pioneer in compressor technology and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of blowers, compressors and turbos, signifcantly expands its Turbo portfolio through the integration of GPE Turbo from Leipzig in the higher pressure and volume flow range. Customers benefit from a significantly expanded product portfolio specifically for the process gas industry, bundled customising expertise and a global service and sales network.
GPE Turbo is a proven specialist for single and multi-stage turbo solutions for the process gas industry and has many years of experience in a wide range of scopes of application as well as worldwide references. A particular strength lies in customised solutions and future-oriented technologies, such as “green” technologies, for example Green DRI or Green Methanol. An own R&D centre and in-house manufacturing enable application-specific adaptations with a short timeto- market. Since the end of January 2026, GPE Turbo together with its entire existing workforce, has been operating as a business unit of the newly established AERZEN Process Gas GmbH. The integration of GPE Turbo into the AERZEN Group leads to an extension of the product portfolio for process gas solutions to include turbo compressors with a pressure range of up to 300 bar and up to 300,000 m³/h volume flow, for example for oil and gas technology, steel production, power plant technology and chemical and process engineering.
The range of single-stage turbo solutions in the low pressure segment up to 1.5 bar will also be significantly expanded. In addition to the proven AERZEN turbo series Generation 5plus (up to 9,400 m³/h) and Generation 5 (up to 16,200 m³/h), volume flows of up to 100,000 m³/h can now be provided. Process air applications in wastewater technology, mining and vapour compression benefit from this. “AERZEN and GPE Turbo - that’s a perfect fit. We share the same DNA and have a consistent mindset - innovative strength, quality thinking, future orientation, consistent customising and a pronounced solution orientation. Together we define new standards and shape the success of our customers,” emphasises Klaus Peter Glöckner, Managing Director of AERZEN. Ralf Stephani from GPE Turbo adds: “We are looking forward to working with AERZEN and the integration into the Group's global sales and service network. This brings together our expertise and enables us to market our customised turbo solutions worldwide.”
Technical pioneering spirit
German Pneumatics Engineering GmbH - the company known in the market as GPE Turbo - was founded in Leipzig in 2013. The primary focus of the business was initially on services, retrofits and reverse engineering for turbo compressors. After initial successes in servicing third-party compressors and thanks to consistent customer orientation, the company entered the international project business for new installations just a few years later - with single and multi-stage centrifugal compressors developed in-house, the so-called integrally geared turbos. The technical pioneering spirit paid off and has characterised the company, which was expanded in 2023 to include GPE-Turbo Berlin GmbH, to this day (see also box “Expansion and milestones”). Turbo compressors tend to be used where process conditions are stable and where suction volume flows exceed the capacities of screw compressors. In addition, multi-stage centrifugal compressors achieve significantly higher final pressures and efficiencies. Whenever process conditions fluctuate or gases are contaminated, screw compressors can fully utilise their strengths (compared to turbos).
The GPE portfolio
Three compressor types are available in different versions:
• Type CC:
up to eight-stage geared turbo as a high-, medium- or low-pressure variant
• Type CCS-H:
up to eight-stage, single-shaft types with horizontally split cylinder
• Type CCS-V:
high pressure (barrel-type) compressor
Electric or gas motors as well as steam turbines can be used as drives. As is customary in the international project business in the oil and gas or energy sector, the systems are carried out as standard in accordance with US regulations API 672 for air applications and API 617 for special gas applications. The application limits of the portfolio have recently been extended to up to 300,000 intake cubic metres per hour for the CC and CCS-H types and up to 300 bar discharge pressure for the CCS-V barrel-type compressor.
The tip speeds of the gearbox turbos with semi-open impellers and titanium alloys are up to 500 m/s.
Expansion and milestones
Steady expansion characterised GPE Turbo after its early years. As part of the first new plants for satisfied customers in the DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) and methanol production range, the office and workshop space was significantly expanded for the first time between 2018 and 2020, and a new hall was built. This was followed in 2023 by the planning of a supplemental production centre with around 2,500 square metres of space, which is nearing completion. Since 2020, GPE has been manufacturing the impellers previously purchased itself using its own five-axis milling machines. By means of modern CFD simulation (Computational Fluid Dynamics), the growing test/inspection field and bundled engineering expertise, optimum conditions for further efficiency increases and application-optimised machine designs have been created in Leipzig. Since then, an impressive success story has unfolded: in just six years, customers in around ten countries have been supplied with customised compressor packages for a wide range of applications in the chemical, oil and gas and steel industries - all top segments of AERZEN Process Gas GmbH.
The number of employees has now increased to over 50. The in-house R&D team works on innovative machine designs and new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing of large-volume, critical components. In addition to the Leipzig site, the Berlin office, which handles business relating to single-shaft compressor types, will also continue to operate.
State-of-the-art machinery
With the project references and reputation, the test department facilities and machinery have also grown continuously and are now of the highest standard. The Leipzig location operates one of the world's most modern test departments for turbo compressors, which covers the entire speed range of all operating cases. The Schenck Overspeed vacuum test centre, with four megawatts of installed drive power and a speed of up to 63,000 rpm, ensures the quality of the impellers. All rotating parts of the compressors are manufactured and tested in-house. The key production facilities include four five-axis milling machines, two high-speed balancing stations and extensive lifting capacities with twelve cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 2.5 to 80 tonnes. Further conventional turning, milling and drilling machines round off the production capacities.
