Strategic Cooperation between Siemens Energy and AneCom AeroTest established
AneCom AeroTest and Siemens Energy have been working together in the fields of validation and testing services for more than ten years. With the signature of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA) this trustful business relationship has now become a mutual partnership. The idea is to make use of complementary capabilities and to combine strengths in fields where both parties are active.
Read now in the interview with Dr. Edmund Ahlers, the founder and CEO of AneCom AeroTest, and Thomas Wiktorsson, head of R&D for industrial gas turbines and former head of global testing what the cooperation is all about.
Interview with Thomas Wiktorsson:
Which challenges is the Siemens Energy testing community facing right now?
Testing in Siemens Energy has its footprint globally and is built up by test facilities for various validation demands and a fully committed team of more than 300 employees. Today we are in a highly intense testing period with the big new product developments of for example HL-class and SGT- 800 engines, as well from technology roadmaps for example in decarbonization.
How did the partnership with AneCom AeroTest develop?
AneCom AeroTest has already from the past been a very important supplier for us in Siemens Energy . With competences matching ours and high-end knowledge and facilities for aero testing the collaboration have been important for us.
Now we have taken this to a new level by matching our different competences and by developing this business relationship to a strategic cooperation. We seek to support each other for mutual benefit and to approach the market in an even better way together.
“I would like to take the opportunity to send a big thank you to AneCom AeroTest for the drive, commitment and openness to reach this milestone.”
We initiated this by a kick-off and signing the Letter of Intent only in June 2019 and can now proudly see the SCA signed on March 25, 2020. This was only possibly by great and open teamwork both within Siemens Energy but most important between AneCom AeroTest and Siemens Energy. Both teams have had an open mindset coming into the discussions, high management involvement and attention to put focus and to set the importance to this great achievement. Already now we can present the first project opportunities for a highpressure combustion test at the Clean Energy Center (CEC) for customers of AneCom AeroTest and as we have the mutual benefits in focus we are in discussions in several additional testing and validation areas for potential projects.
How do you envision the future of Siemens Energy testing?
To adopt to the future needs, we envision to drive for a blend of internal and external businesses in testing. We have world class testing competence and infrastructure today which will position in the external market. Selling test services will be established and improved by the SCA now with AneCom AeroTest, given mutual benefit for both companies. With this important step and the transformation of an internal test organization to a test service provider on the global market, we increase flexibility, competence and cost balance.
Interview with Dr. Edmund Ahlers:
What is the history of AneCom AeroTest?
AneCom AeroTest was founded in 2002 by four shareholders. The main purpose was rationalization of compressor test capability by integrating three existing Rolls-Royce compressor test facilities in one new state-of-the-art compressor test center. The business concept combines the operation of this Compressor Test Centre (CTC) with a wide range of engineering services with a special focus of gas turbine product development and validation. This includes design and manufacturing of gas turbine test vehicles, instrumentation and application services as well as engineering support in the field of product development.
The operation started in November 2002 with 20 employees. Over the years the company has grown to a profitable business employing around 250 staff and a turnover exceeding 30 m€. Today the company´s expertise is recognized and used by several key players in the aero-engine and gas turbine industry.
After a couple of smaller projects Siemens Energy approached AneCom AeroTest in 2007 to discuss the turnkey design, make & test of a 6-stage compressor test vehicle as part of a research program funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The actual project started in September 2007, the first test of the compressor AC100 was conducted in mid of 2010, followed by two more test campaigns as part of the research program. During this very successful collaboration more service opportunities were explored and contracted, e.g. instrumentation support for Siemens Energy gas turbine test facility in Berlin, the steam turbine business in Görlitz or industrial gas turbine business in Finspång. In addition, AneCom AeroTest is working today on a project for compressor design, make and test (AC220) as well as on a complex research turbine rig (RTR) to be tested @ DLR Göttingen.
Why does AneCom AeroTest want to partner with Siemens Energy?
First of all, I would like to thank Siemens Energy for their willingness to take our business relationship to the next level and share some of their capabilities with us. Generally speaking, AneCom AeroTest has a strong interest to enter into a more strategic cooperation with its key customers to foster and secure a long-term business relationship. This is specifically important for us as a relatively small company acting in a niche market segment providing service to gas turbine OEMs worldwide.
“The new partnership with Siemens Energy is an important milestone in our company development with a lot of new potential that we can jointly offer to our customers.”
This includes the use of existing state-of-the-art test facilities in both organizations as well as test engineering, instrumentation and manufacturing know-how. I really believe that both organizations will benefit from this partnership, will learn from each other and together are able to offer more to other customers than each company on its own.
How could the partnership look like in the future?
Both companies together own several test facilities and test systems that complement each other and may be used for Siemens Energy projects, but also – in a joint approach – for other AneCom AeroTest customers if competition rules do allow. This also applies to qualified test and engineering personnel where we can support each other on an as-needed basis. In addition, this cooperation will allow for joint development of cutting-edge test technologies and systems which again will help to offer attractive test solutions to the marketplace.
How does AneCom AeroTest benefit from this partnership?
This new level of cooperation with Siemens Energy is building on a more than ten years business relationship and established communication channels. For AneCom AeroTest it is very beneficial to have access to a larger pool of experts in the area of test engineering and technologies, but also to additional test facilities in the proximity of our own premises.
On a broader picture this strategic cooperation with Siemens Energy enables us to get insights and stay on top of the development of the energy market, even beyond gas turbines, e.g. green technologies & renewables and energy storage technologies. This provides an important and valuable input for our company strategy going forward.