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[...]On March 22, 2023, the United Nations mark World Water Day. This day is an annual reminder of the special nature of water as an essential resource for all life – and more than ever of the global challenges associated with it. The motto of the International Water Day 2023 is: “Accelerating Change”. For HUBER, this date has always had a special meaning. As a company active in the environmental sector and a global leader in wastewater treatment, drinking water supply and sludge treatment, we see ourselves committed to the environment and natural resources. First and foremost, of course, to water. To honor the core element of our actions, we have created a new corporate video for World Water Day 2023, which you find embedded below. This year’s motto “Accelerating Change” is intended to focus on the importance of national and international cooperation with regard to compliance with the United Nations’ 6th “Sustainable Development Goal” (“SDG”, Clean Water and Sanitation) . In this goal, the UN formulates the will to ensure clean water and sanitation for all people by 2030 – access to water should not be a privilege. Implementing all the necessary changes will require an enormous effort on a variety of levels. That is why a water conference will be held in New York from March 22 to 24. The campaign “Be the change you want to see in the world” also calls on individuals to take action – we can all make a difference by making small changes in the way we use water. Video "For Water – HUBER WASTE WATER Solutions"[...]

[...]Editorial on the topic ”ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY” by Prof. Dr. Franz Bischof ”Energy”! A word that electrifies and invites discussion like no other at the moment. Everyone in this country now knows about the importance of energy – and its availability and costs. And it is energy carriers, heat and electricity, i.e. the conversion products of our technical processes that are subject to losses, that keep our lives and those of industry in this country “running and alive” and at the same time make them easier. 1,000,000 billion joules of primary energy consumption But have you ever actually thought about how much energy is needed in Germany every year? According to the latest figures from the Working Group on Energy Balances from September 2022, Germany has a primary energy consumption of 12,413 petajoules. That doesn't sound like little – and it isn't. Peta represents the figure 10 to the power of 15, or put more simply: 1,000,000 billion. Such huge numbers are completely beyond our imagination and mental images are needed to grasp their significance. A 78,191-kilometre freight train Let us imagine, then, that this primary energy in the form of hard coal would have to be transported to Germany by a freight train. The freight wagons usually used for this purpose have a payload of 65 tonnes and a length of 12 metres. It would be a long freight train: consisting of a good 6.5 million wagons or a total length of 78,191 kilometres! Every year we empty this “special train to Germany” twice around the earth's equator. Households, transport and industry share the final consumption more or less equally – about 20 % each. And almost as much primary energy, almost 18 %, is lost through the conversion of primary energy into final energy. Saving energy, recovering energy and new forms of production Saving energy wherever possible, recovering it and finding new forms of energy production is therefore the top priority as long as it is not possible to substitute primary energy consumption from predominantly fossil energy sources with regenerative energy sources on a large scale. Wastewater contains chemical and thermal energy Wastewater seems to be a very interesting medium for this and could make an important contribution. On the one hand, wastewater contains chemically bound energy that microorganisms can release in anaerobic processes in a controlled manner in the form of the energy carrier methane. On the other hand, the thermal energy stored in wastewater should be of great interest. Per degree Celsius, one cubic metre of wastewater has the energy quantity of 1.16 kWh. This means that wastewater could theoretically replace 1 cubic metre of natural gas if 1000 litres of it were cooled by about 9 degrees Celsius through heat extraction. Heating with wastewater instead of natural gas! Using high energy potential through adapted heat exchange systems Such applications in the area of municipal sewers are unrealistic, however, because this would impair the purification process at the sewage treatment plant too much. Cooling by 1 to 2 degrees, however, is usually no problem and even on this relatively small scale has a high energy or heat potential. However, it is not uncommon for wastewater or process water to be produced at relatively high temperatures in municipalities or in industrial production processes. In future, it should no longer be possible to do without this energy. However, efficient heat exchange systems that are adapted to the special features of wastewater are the technical prerequisite for this goal in order to be able to create sustainable heat utilisation concepts for the respective case. The future of energy-recovering and energy-efficient processes and products In the overall view of wastewater technology, the future of energy-recovering and energy-efficient processes and products did not just begin yesterday. The use of waste heat from wastewater is becoming more and more established; electric drives with improved efficiency are being used more and more. New wastewater treatment processes aim to remove organic matter from wastewater in the influent of wastewater treatment plants in order to produce more methane in digesters and at the same time reduce the energy required for the aerobic treatment processes in the wastewater treatment plant. New and innovative monitoring processes to detect excessive wear on machinery are being developed as part of the advancing digitalisation to detect unnecessary energy consumption at an early stage. In addition, digitalisation in combination with intelligent evaluation of data opens up completely new possibilities for optimising processes: for example, less sludge accumulation and lower precipitant consumption. While these benefits may not be recognised as energy-saving measures at first glance, they are still a major challenge. Intelligent design, lightweight materials, quality and durability At second glance, however, they show up in the reduction of chemicals and transport, or in other words: saving energy by “not producing” and “not driving kilometres”. Intelligent design of machines or the choice of lightweight materials with the aim of reducing weight are also directly related to the saving of energy for production and transport. The high quality of products and, consequently, their durability, in turn, form the basis for the economical use of raw materials required for their manufacture. Product quality should therefore always be seen in a positive context with energy saving. The technical symbiosis of energy and sustainability Many of these examples show that the responsible use of energy is inseparably linked to sustainable wastewater technology. Energy and sustainability have come together to form a remarkable technical symbiosis. From this perspective, wastewater technology in all its fields of application will also be able to make an important contribution to shortening our "freight train full of energy" in the future. You just have to do it, according to the saying: "Doing is like wanting, only more intense!” Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz Bischof is a professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering / Environmental Engineering for the subject "Processes for Water, Air and Soil Pollution Control" at the East Bavarian Technical University Amberg-Weiden.[...]

[...]At HUBER SE, the 3,000th RakeMax ® screen has left the factory at the company’s headquarters in Berching. In the course of its almost 20-year success story, the RakeMax ® has become the flagship among screening systems. The HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax ® , firmly established in the market and first presented to the public at the International Trade Fair for Sewage Technology IFAT 2005, has meanwhile proven itself more than three thousand times on the worldwide market of wastewater technology due to its versatile application possibilities. HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® HF In the course of continuous development, another innovative screen type based on the successful RakeMax® was already developed in 2010 in the field of influent screening: the cranked version of the multi-rake bar screen called RakeMax ® HF (High Flow). This screen version consists of a flat and therefore hydraulically very advantageous bottom screening section with a subsequent transition into a steep conveying section. Here, the positive characteristics of the proven RakeMax® – reliable solids separation and high screenings discharge capacity – are combined with low hydraulic screen loss due to a large and effective bar rack surface of the screen. Due to the extremely flat inclination of the bar rack of 30°, the screen section through which the flow passes is always double the depth of the approaching flow. HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® J The HUBER RakeMax® J is also a modified variant of the proven Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax®. In contrast to the standard version, the screen bars of the RakeMax® J are not straight, but curved towards the bottom of the channel. The additional designation “J” is also derived from the shape of the bar rack, as the contour of the screen bars resembles the silhouette of this letter. The screen rake moves along the curvature of the screen bars and describes a segment of a circle in this section. The flat inclination of the rake bars directly in the bottom area results in an overall larger cross-section of the screen through which the flow passes, which leads to lower hydraulic losses as well as to a reduction of the flow velocity in the gaps between the screen bars. For the manufacture of the semi-circular curved screen bars, HUBER uses its many years of experience in the production and use of screens with curved screen bars, such as the well proven HUBER Fine Screen ROTAMAT® Ro1. In this screen system, the curved bar rack is reliably cleaned in a comparable way by the screen cleaner rake with corresponding meshing teeth. With the two variants RakeMax® HF and RakeMax® J described above, disturbing deposits can already be absorbed by the rakes in the lower screen area thanks to the special design. This further optimises the functionality and ease of maintenance of the multi-rake bar screen. HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® CF For the first time presented at WEFTEC (Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference) 2019, the leading American trade fair for the water industry, another innovative screen type based on the successful RakeMax® was introduced: the HUBER RakeMax® CF (Center Flow) screen combines the advantages of the proven model with the positive features of a center flow screen. The HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® – modern screening system of the highest quality class The HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® offers enormous potential in a wide range of applications due to its diverse application possibilities: the above-mentioned RakeMax® models represent only an overview of the possibilities. One example of the continuous development and variability: the angle of installation. At the beginning of its “career”, the installation angle of the RakeMax® was 75 to 80° – today it can be used with an angle of 50 to 85°. Its product features, advantages and the resulting application possibilities and solutions make the HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® a modern screen of the highest quality. Thanks to its various designs, the RakeMax® also opens up a very wide range of applications, enabling HUBER to respond even more individually to customer needs and structural and hydraulic conditions in the future. Despite all the enthusiasm for technology, one essential aspect of machine development must not be left out: user-friendliness. And in this respect, too, HUBER’s RakeMax® impressively demonstrates that its individually configurable machines offer tailor-made solutions in the field of mechanical wastewater treatment.[...]

[...]On Friday, 1 September, HUBER SE welcomed 20 apprentices and 1 student doing an on-the-job course to the 2023 training year. As part of an induction event lasting several days, they were introduced to the company, their new colleagues and the company headquarters in Berching – thus launching their professional careers at HUBER. Induction event lasting several days for the best possible start at the company CEO Georg Huber: “Apprenticeships and on-the-job university courses at HUBER are the cornerstone of a successful career” 16 of the apprentices will launch their careers in the commercial sector, working as precision engineers, metalworkers, warehouse logistics specialists, mechatronics engineers and wastewater technology specialists. Four apprentices start their commercial and technical training courses as industrial salespersons and technical product designers. In addition, one student doing an on-the-job course in industrial engineering at Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, DHBW) in Mannheim will be launching their career at HUBER. CEO Georg Huber: “Apprenticeships and on-the-job university courses at HUBER are the cornerstone of a successful career” “At the start of the 2023 training year, we will be opening our doors to 21 junior staff for a promising future,” CEO Georg Huber explained. "At HUBER, apprenticeships and cooperative higher education programs combining on-the-job training and academic studies are the cornerstone of a successful career. That’s why we want to challenge, promote and integrate young talent from day one. They get to know the water industry and a global leader in the environmental sector and can rely on us throughout their careers. At HUBER, we are delighted that 20 apprentices and one student doing an on-the-job course have now embarked on the path of consistent and sustainable growth with us. And on behalf of the entire Board of Management, I would like to welcome them all to our company." Welcome address by HR department and works council In order to make it as easy as possible for them to benefit fully from this new phase in their lives, commercial manager Josef Stadler and sales manager Franz Heindl, HUBER's HR department and the works council welcomed apprentices and the student from Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University. After an interactive getting-to-know each other session with the youth and apprenticeship representatives as well as a company presentation, new arrivals deserved to call it a day. Induction days for the best possible start to training and higher education course On the following induction days, HR department staff informed them about the various steps involved in professional training at HUBER, their rights and obligations and introduced them to an “apprenticeship etiquette”. Team building measures intended to strengthen the feeling of being a unit and a transparent list of tips and tricks make sure new employees land on their feet right from the start of the training. Before taking a tour of the company's headquarters in Berching, apprentices and the student from Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University were given occupational health and safety training and got to know the site as part of a company rally. At the end of the induction days, new arrivals were able to look forward to a day out together: in order to give them the opportunity to get to know each other and the trainers even better, a trip to the (football) golf course near the company headquarters was on the agenda. On the fourth day, industrial apprentices started at their specialist department, while the others were introduced to the IT systems before they also had to face up to some hard graft.[...]

[...]On Wednesday, 26 April 2023, the new sewage sludge drying plant was commissioned at Erlangen WWTP. The heart of the plant is a HUBER Belt Dryer BT 16, which will reduce the amount of sewage sludge to be processed by about 70 % in the future. In their speeches, Bavarian Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber and Dr. Florian Janik, Mayor of the City of Erlangen, emphasised the “pioneering work” being done in Erlangen on one of the most modern sewage treatment plants in Europe. 70 percent less sewage sludge, 1,200 tons CO 2 savings In the future, approx. 15,700 t/a of sewage sludge will be dried to ≥ 90 % dry residue (DR) in the HUBER Belt Dryer BT 16. The amount of sewage sludge to be processed in the sewage treatment plant will thus be reduced by about 70 %. In particular, the elimination of truck transports can save about 1,200 t of CO 2 annually. In case the dried sewage sludge is then thermally treated, almost 920,000 m³ of natural gas can also be saved per year. Environment Minister Glauber: “showcase project, top engineering and high-tech” ”The Erlangen sewage treatment plant is one of the most modern sewage treatment plants in Europe,” said Bavarian Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber in his speech before the official commissioning: ”It is a showcase project and stands for the highest art of engineering. The modern sewage treatment plant combines water protection with the challenges of energy transition and climate protection. The new drying plant is pure high-tech. Less sewage sludge means fewer lorry transports. This means less CO 2 and less noise. The Erlangen sewage treatment plant is exemplary: only those who invest stay ahead.” CO 2 -neutral operation of the belt dryer In addition, the dried sewage sludge can be regionally utilised as a substitute fuel because its calorific value is comparable to that of lignite. The sewage treatment plant has already been energy self-sufficient since 2019: the exclusively regenerative energy generation is significantly higher than the energy demand of the sewage treatment plant. The new belt dryer can also be operated in a CO 2 -neutral manner. The thermal energy demand of the drying plant is ensured 100% by regenerative energy from the combined heat and power of the sewage treatment plant as well as from a combination of photovoltaic systems and heat recovery using high-temperature heat pumps. Scope of delivery: HUBER belt dryer and entire “periphery”. The scope of supply includes the HUBER Belt Dryer BT 16 and all peripherals, consisting of, among others, a HUBER Screw Conveyor Ro8 T, seven sludge conveyors and a thick sludge pump. Also included are the exhaust air treatment, two biofilters and two chimneys, the chemical handling including receiving and filling cabinets, four chemical storage tanks, six dosing cabinets and double piping, the steel and piping construction, a bucket elevator and the control system. City of Erlangen has invested around 100 million euros in 20 years The city of Erlangen invests a large financial amount in the future viability of its sewage treatment plant – about 100 million euros in the last 20 years. In 2012, the city had already been awarded a special prize for future-oriented concepts for the sewage treatment plant as part of the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment's Wastewater Innovation Prize.[...]

[...]HUBER SE honoured eleven graduates of industrial apprenticeships for their successfully passed final exams. At the HUBER Forum in Berching/Erasbach, the executive board and trainers congratulated and wished the newly graduated professionals much success in their takeover departments and for their further career. In January and February of this year, six precision mechanics specialising in mechanical engineering, five metalworkers specialising in construction technology and one mechatronics engineer successfully completed their training at HUBER. The now former apprentices, eleven of whom were taken on by the company as in permanent employment, are: the precision mechanics Simon Braun (takeover department: cutting), Milena Donhauser (final assembly), Bastian Halbig (cutting), Nico Muschaweck (final assembly), Daniel Schön (cutting) and Stefan Stampfer (machining), the metalworkers Michael Benz (shell construction), Georg Grillenbeck (shell construction), Tim Hübner (shell construction) and Tobias Rösch (shell construction), as well as the mechatronics technician Lukas Heidler (service technician for I&C technology). Congratulations from the board and trainers The board members Dr. Oliver Rong (Chief Engineering & Production Officer, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board) and Rainer Köhler (Executive Board Member for Sales) as well as the trainers personally congratulated the graduates on their successful completions and wished them much joy and success in their take-over departments as well as for their further professional careers. Further information on training, dual studies and internships at HUBER: https://karriere.huber.de/apprenticeship-and-internship.html[...]

[...]On Tuesday, 18 April, the advisory board meeting of the Bavarian regional association of the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) took place at HUBER SE. HUBER hosted the meeting in the person of DWA Advisory Board member and Sales Director Rainer Köhler, which concluded with a tour of the production halls at the company's headquarters in Berching/Erasbach. After the official welcome, the agenda of the meeting included brief annual reports, an exchange on current challenges in the water industry, news from the federal office and the annual goals of the Bavarian regional association, before honours and the election and re-election of advisory board members were held. At the end of the one-day meeting, interested participants could join a factory tour. Rainer Köhler: ”Exchange about current challenges more important than ever” ”We are very pleased that the advisory board meeting of the DWA Bavarian Association could take place at HUBER this time. The exchange about current challenges in water management is probably more important today than ever before. The highlight at the end was a factory tour, which was positively received by the DWA Advisory Board members,” said Rainer Köhler. About DWA The German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) is committed to the development of safe and sustainable water management. It is a politically and economically independent organisation and the association with the largest membership in the fields of water management, wastewater, solid waste and soil protection. About 14,000 members represent experts and executives from municipalities, universities, engineering offices, authorities and companies. Interested participants joined a factory tour at the end of the meeting Interested participants during a HUBER SE factory tour.[...]

[...]An early Christmas present at the end of 2022: HUBER expands its social media channels and from now on also posts on Instagram about all news from Berching and the whole (HUBER) world. HUBER SE on Instagram: @huber.se In future, Instagram will be another channel for external corporate communication: in addition to short reports on products, projects and personnel, a focus will also be on expanding and strengthening the employer brand and recruiting. Instagram is the fifth social media channel that HUBER manages from the company headquarters in Berching/Erasbach – from Berching to the whole world in real time, so to speak.[...]

[...]HUBER continues to expand its media presence and have now been active on the social network LinkedIn for a few months. Therefore, you now have the opportunity to follow this channel and keep up to date with the latest projects, products, solutions and news. If you follow the company page, the latest info and notifications will be displayed in your news feed or you will receive a notification in the LinkedIn app. Become a follower of HUBER and always get the latest news and background information on products, projects and much more. Follow us now on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/huber-se[...]