What EPC Group does

EPC Group is a German family-owned engineering and plant-construction company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Arnstadt, Thuringia, operating through EPC Engineering & Technologies GmbH and HI Bauprojekt GmbH with seven German offices (Arnstadt, Rudolstadt, Alzenau, Leuna, Jena) and project execution in more than 40 countries. Its core offering is licensed process technology bundled with engineering, proprietary main equipment, and turnkey plant delivery across five domains: polymers and fibers (notably the patented variPLANT® non-phosgene polycarbonate melt trans-esterification process, PET/PBT, EPS, PAN, CarbaCell viscose, Lyocell, carbon fiber), chemicals (basic chemicals, fertilizer/soil enhancers including NOVIHUM®, HCN/NaCN, montan wax, phosphorus recovery, pharma and fine chemicals), renewable energies (biomass, bio-fuels, polysilicon, solar module factories, slurry recycling, decarbonization, green hydrogen via modular plug-and-play electrolysis with Cryotec), bio-technologies (starch, sugar, oil/protein, extraction, organic-residue plants and pilot-plant scale-up via variPILOT), and industrial plants including battery-grade lithium hydroxide (AMG Lithium, Bitterfeld).

The business model combines quote-based technology licensing, bundled engineering packages, patented equipment supply, and "Functional" turnkey project delivery, priced per bespoke configuration with no publicly disclosed fees. EPC has executed more than 1,000 projects across 40+ countries and serves enterprise customers predominantly in the chemicals, petrochemicals, battery-materials, and renewable-energy sectors, with named wins including China Energy Yulin (260 KTA polycarbonate license), CSPC/CNOOC Shell (260 KTA equipment supply), Zhangzhou CHIMEI (180 KTPA commissioned 2026), AMG Lithium (lithium hydroxide detail engineering), and XFAB Erfurt (semiconductor facility modernization).

The company monetizes a multi-decade patent portfolio through recurring license fees and equipment sales tied to large industrial plant projects, co-develops next-generation offerings with strategic partners (Avantium for PEF, Coperion for direct compounding, POLYMETRIX for SSP, PegasusTSI for U.S. lithium, Cryotec for hydrogen, NOVIHUM for soil enhancers), and goes to market through enterprise field sales, international trade fairs (CHINAPLAS, IndiaChem, INDIA Petrochem), and channel partners, with no consumer-facing or self-serve digital channel.

Name

EPC Group

Legal name

EPC Engineering & Technologies GmbH

Website

https://epc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

EPC Group is a German family-owned engineering firm that licenses proprietary process technologies and delivers turnkey industrial plants for polymers, chemicals, biotechnology, renewable energy, and battery-materials customers across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Plant Engineering & Process Technology Licensing

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)

akta.pro primary industry

Wind Power Plant EPC (Onshore/Offshore) (EUAEAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG), Power Plant Electrical Systems EPC (Switchyard, Transformers, Protection & Controls) (EUAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Industrial plant engineering
• Polymer technology licensing
• Turnkey plant construction
• Chemical process technology
• Renewable energy plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing: EPC offers license packages built around its in-house developed technologies and patented main equipment (e.g., variPLANT® non-phosgene polycarbonate, CarbaCell viscose, NOVIHUM® humus granulate, YXY®-based continuous PEF). Each license is bundled with an individual engineering package, providing recurring/upfront licensing fees plus equipment and service revenue.
2. Turnkey "Functional" Plant Construction: "Functional" Turnkey projects covering process technologies & warranties, engineering package, equipment delivery, supervision of installation and commissioning — typically large, project-based, one-time revenue per plant (e.g., 180 KTPA polycarbonate, 260 KTA polycarbonate, lithium hydroxide refineries).
3. Engineering Services: Full-scope engineering services — concept development, basic and detail engineering, planning, construction supervision, and modernization/revamping of chemical and plastics plants — sold as discrete contracts or as part of licensing/turnkey packages.
4. Equipment Delivery: Delivery of proprietary, patented main equipment (e.g., polycarbonate reactor systems, containers/flat racks for international polycarbonate projects) as part of licensing and turnkey plant supply contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Core offering

EPC Group designs and delivers proprietary process technologies, full-scope engineering services, patented main equipment, and "Functional" turnkey industrial plants for the chemical, polymer, biotech, renewable energy, battery materials and semiconductor industries. Its portfolio centres on licensable in-house technologies (e.g., variPLANT® non-phosgene polycarbonate, CarbaCell viscose, NOVIHUM® humus granulate, variPILOT, PEF cPol, modular green hydrogen) bundled with engineering, equipment delivery and commissioning, with more than 1,000 projects executed across 40+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Polycarbonate Technology (variPLANT® melt trans-esterification process) Licensed process technology for producing polycarbonate without toxic phosgene inputs, using melt trans-esterification with multiple finisher lines that can simultaneously produce different PC grades; deployed at the Ningbo polycarbonate polycondensation plant.
• PET / Polyester / PET-G / PBT Technology Process technology covering PET chips (textile and bottle grade), PET-G, and PBT, including revamping of polycondensation plants (e.g., four-line revamp at Yanuba converting textile-grade PET to bottle-grade PET chips at 1,000 t/d capacity increase).
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Technology
• PET Recycling Technology
• Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Technology
• variPILOT Research & Pilot Plants
• Viscose (CarbaCell) Technology
• Carbon Fiber Technology
• Lyocell Technology
• Basic Chemicals Technology
• Fertilizer and Soil Enhancer Technology (incl. NOVIHUM®) Fertilizer and soil-enhancer plant technologies, including the NOVIHUM® patented process for producing permanent humus granulate from lignite and additives; reference pilot plant produces 1,000 t/a in Dortmund since 2016 with planning completed for a first 100,000 t/a large-scale plant.
• HCN Derivative / NaCN Technology
• Montan Wax Technology
• Phosphorus Recovery Technology (Pontes Pabuli)
• Pharma & Fine Chemicals Technology
• Block-type Thermal Power Stations (CHP)
• Biomass Plants
• Bio-Fuels Technology
• Monosilane / Polysilicon / TCS Technology
• Silicon Ingot, Wafer, Cell & Module Factories
• Slurry Supply and Recycling Technology
• Decarbonization Technology
• Starch-rich Raw Materials Plants
• Sugar-rich Raw Materials Plants
• Oil- and Protein-rich Raw Material Plants
• Extraction Plants
• Organic Residues Plants
• Pilot Plant Scale-Up Services
• Lithium / Rare Earth / Industrial Plants
• Hydrogen Generation Plants (Green Hydrogen, modular plug-and-play) Complete concepts for hydrogen generation plants via electrolysis of water with renewable electricity, configured per customer request. Modular plug-and-play designs in skid-mounted or containerized units enable quick installation and start-up anywhere in the world; delivered in partnership with Cryotec Anlagenbau GmbH.
• EPC–Coperion One-Step Direct Compounding Technology for Polycarbonate One-step process for direct compounding of polycarbonate (PC) melt based on non-phosgene polymerization. Direct transfer of PC melt from the final polymerization reactor outlet (with polymers like ABS and additives) into a Coperion ZSK twin-screw extruder eliminates intermediate PC granulate storage and reheating, reducing operational cost by up to USD 1 million per 100 kta depending on product mix.
• PEF cPol Technology – Continuous Polyethylene Furanoate Production Continuous polymerization technology for PEF (polyethylene furanoate), jointly developed with Avantium N.V. and POLYMETRIX AG for plant capacities of 100,000 t/a and above. Combines EPC's continuous polymerization design with Avantium's YXY Technology (FDCA, branded releaf) and POLYMETRIX's SSP; offers greenfield, brownfield or retrofit PEF plants with performance guarantees.
• Multi-functional Acrylate Production Lines
• Full Scope Engineering Solutions
• "Functional" Turnkey Plant Service
• Technology Licensing
• HI Bauprojekt – Construction & Infrastructure Services

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 successfully implemented projects across 40+ countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• WEA Wärme- und Energieanlagenbau GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 June 2026Erfurt-based WEA Wärme- und Energieanlagenbau GmbH executed the construction work on the XFAB Erfurt electrical-system modernisation project, while EPC was responsible for the planning and construction supervision. The official inauguration was attended by over 60 stakeholders in June 2026.
• Dörnigheimer SV (G2 Youth Team "Bambinis")minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 February 2026EPC Engineering & Technologies became the official jersey sponsor of the G2 youth team (Bambinis) of Dörnigheimer SV for the 2025/26 season. The new team kits were handed over by EPC colleague Sebastian Streng from the Alzenau branch. Aligned with EPC's "Engineers of Tomorrow" employer-branding mission.
• Coperion GmbHflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025EPC Engineering & Technologies GmbH (Arnstadt) and Coperion GmbH (Stuttgart) jointly developed a groundbreaking one-step process for the direct compounding of polycarbonate (PC) melt using non-phosgene polymerization. The Coperion ZSK twin-screw extruder mixes the PC compound melt straight from the final polymerization reactor with ABS/additives before pelletizing. Operational cost savings of up to USD 1 million per 100 kta are achievable. Announced as a joint press release from Stuttgart/Arnstadt on 6 October 2025.
• PegasusTSI, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 June 2025Strategic collaboration for the U.S. lithium market. EPC and PegasusTSI jointly presented "The Lithium Value Chain: From Concept to Reality" at the 17th Lithium Supply & Battery Raw Materials Conference in Las Vegas (Red Rock Casino Resort, 26 June 2025, 9:20 AM), with Karol Kerrane (MD, EPC) and Ricardo Sepulveda (Senior Business Development Manager, Pegasus TSI) as speakers. Previously announced at WPC2024 in Houston, Texas.
• Avantium N.V.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025EPC signed a collaboration with Avantium N.V. to advance continuous PEF polyester production technology targeting plant capacities of 100,000 tons per annum and above. EPC integrates its processes together with POLYMETRIX AG's solid-state polymerization know-how; the resulting "PEF cPol Technology" is included in Avantium's YXY® Technology license package. EPC will provide plant design, engineering, process equipment and plant construction services to Avantium's future licensees. Joint Development Agreement builds on EPC's 2017 25,000 t/a conceptual design for Avantium.
• POLYMETRIX AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025POLYMETRIX contributes its continuous solid-state polymerization (SSP) know-how to the EPC–Avantium collaboration on continuous PEF polymerization, enabling full PEF production packages (greenfield, brownfield or retrofit) at industrial scale with performance guarantees.
• Central German Children's Hospice (Kinderhospiz Mitteldeutschland), Tambach-DietharzminorOthers · 3 December 2024Charitable partnership and donation partner for EPC's 30-year anniversary campaign. EPC set up a donation account and, with the support of business partners and guests plus an EPC top-up, raised 5,000 euros for the hospice in Tambach-Dietharz. The donation cheque was presented by Managing Directors Karol Kerrane and Franz-Josef Willems to hospice "donating angel" Marcus Köhler.
• Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Close multi-year partnership with a lively exchange in materials development and research. On the occasion of ITA's 90th anniversary, Michael Streng (Technology Director, EPC) and Jörg Hamann (Head of Innovations Technology Development, EPC) presented a EUR 1,000 voucher to Prof. Dr. Thomas Gries in support of upcoming research projects.
• Cryotec Anlagenbau GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2022Synergetic partnership within the broader EPC ecosystem to deliver full-scope hydrogen generation projects. Cryotec contributes expertise that complements EPC's modular green hydrogen concepts (skid-mounted or containerized plug-and-play plants), enabling EPC to offer production, handling and storage of hydrogen for customers worldwide.
• NOVIHUM Technologies GmbHcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 12 July 2021Strategic partnership in which EPC adds the NOVIHUM® technology (manufacturing process for permanent humus granulate from lignite and additives) to its product portfolio. EPC previously supported NOVIHUM® during the development phase by providing engineering services and turnkey manufacturing of the pilot plant in Dortmund (1,000 t/a). Planning for a first large-scale plant of up to 100,000 tons per year has been completed, with EPC offering worldwide turnkey plant construction.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sulzer: Swiss process engineering and equipment group with separations, mixing and chemical-processing technologies; partially overlapping with EPC's chemical-process engineering and equipment delivery offerings.
• GEA Group: German process engineering and equipment supplier for food, dairy, pharma and chemicals; overlapping with EPC's chemicals/pharma/biotech plant engineering work but with a much larger, broader equipment business.
• Air Liquide Engineering & Construction: Engineering and construction arm of Air Liquide focused on industrial gas and hydrogen plants; broader portfolio than EPC but overlapping in modular hydrogen generation concepts.

Direct peers

• Toyo Engineering Corporation: Japanese EPC contractor for petrochemical and polymer plants; comparable to EPC in its EPC + licensing approach and in its active pursuit of Chinese and Indian petrochemical customers.
• Lummus Technology: Process technology licensor for petrochemicals, polymers and refining; comparable to EPC in the way it bundles proprietary process designs with EPC services and licensed main equipment.
• Linde Engineering: Engineering and EPC arm of Linde, delivering process plants for industrial gases, chemicals and hydrogen; comparable to EPC in hydrogen/renewable energy offerings and EPC delivery model.
• Honeywell UOP: Global process technology licensor for refining, petrochemicals and gas processing; comparable to EPC as a long-cycle licensing + EPC platform serving chemical and polymer producers.
• thyssenkrupp Uhde: German EPC contractor for chemicals, polymers and fertilizers with comparable licensing + turnkey plant model; competes head-to-head with EPC in polycarbonate, PET and basic chemicals plants globally.
• Técnicas Reunidas: Spanish EPC contractor delivering large turnkey chemical and energy projects globally; comparable to EPC in scope of services, geographies served and project-driven revenue model.
• Sinopec Engineering: Chinese EPC contractor for petrochemical and refining plants; competes with EPC for Chinese state-owned petrochemical customers (e.g., CNOOC/CHN Energy) on the same polycarbonate and polymer projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EPCEngineering
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/epc.group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epc-group-ideas-inside
• Instagraminstagram.com/epcgroup_germany

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EPC Group