Caliqua

What Caliqua does

Caliqua AG is a Swiss engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm specializing in thermal energy systems for municipal utilities and industrial clients. Founded approximately 1930 and headquartered in Basel, the company delivers turnkey waste-to-energy plants (Kehrichtverwertungsanlagen), biomass combined heat and power plants (Holzheizkraftwerk), Power-to-Heat electrode boiler installations for sector coupling, and district heating energy centers with associated piping networks. Named reference projects include a Zürich ERZ energy center with three 40 MW hot water boilers and 13 km of district heating pipe, the Sisslerfeld biomass CHP supplying DSM Nutritional Products / Syngenta / Novartis, and a 40 MW Power-to-Heat plant for Hamburger Energiewerke in Wedel.

The underlying technology stack combines conventional thermal engineering with proprietary capabilities: ultra-low NOx burners achieving emissions four times below the Swiss regulatory limit, first-in-Switzerland real-time biomass moisture sensing, high-pressure biomass steam parameters (105 bar, 525°C), and electrode hot water boilers with >99.5% kessel efficiency and quick-start from 5% to 100% in 30 seconds. The company reports operational availability exceeding 99.8% on hot water boilers and 99.98% on biomass plant steam systems, supporting an overall efficiency claim of >86% on flagship CHP installations.

Caliqua operates as a B2B project-delivery business with two revenue streams: one-time EPC revenue from project development, plant planning, assembly, and commissioning; and recurring long-term service revenue from maintenance of installed thermal plants. Customers are concentrated in the DACH region (Switzerland and Germany) and include municipal utilities, waste management entities, and large industrial enterprises. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EQUANS Switzerland, which itself sits within the Bouygues Group, and operates a German subsidiary (Caliqua Powertec GmbH, Weil am Rhein) to execute cross-border projects. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales, frequently through public tendering for municipal clients and direct negotiation for industrial off-takers.

Name

Caliqua

Legal name

CALIQUA AG

Website

https://caliqua.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Caliqua AG is a Basel-based EPC firm delivering turnkey thermal energy plants — waste-to-energy, biomass CHP, Power-to-Heat, and district heating systems — for municipal utilities and industrial clients across Switzerland and Germany, operating as a subsidiary of EQUANS within the Bouygues Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thermal Plant Engineering and Construction

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomass Plant EPC & Integration (Design/Build, Balance of Plant) (EUAAAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomass CHP & Cogeneration Plants (Industrial & Utility) (EUAAAGAA), District Energy Biomass Plants (Heating Networks) (EUAAAGAB)

Keywords

• Thermal plant engineering
• Waste-to-energy systems
• Biomass power plants
• District heating networks
• Power-to-heat technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 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. Engineering and Construction Services: CALIQUA provides comprehensive project development, plant planning, assembly, commissioning, and service for thermal energy installations. Projects are delivered as turnkey solutions for municipal and industrial clients.
2. Long-term Service Contracts: Ongoing maintenance and service operations for installed thermal plants, providing recurring service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Caliqua AG provides engineering, procurement, and construction services for thermal energy plants, delivering turnkey sustainable energy centers, heating power plants, and district heating systems from project development through planning, assembly, commissioning, and long-term service. Core plant types include waste-to-energy facilities (Kehrichtverwertungsanlagen), biomass combined heat and power plants (Holzheizkraftwerk), Power-to-Heat plants converting surplus renewable electricity to district heating, and central district heating energy centers (Energiezentrale).

Product overview

Caliqua is a services company offering engineering, procurement, and construction services for thermal energy plants rather than a software product company. Their portfolio consists of five core service offerings (Projektentwicklung, Anlagenplanung, Montage, Inbetriebnahme, and Service) delivered across four product categories: Holzheizkraftwerk (wood biomass heating power plants), Power-to-Heat-Anlage (electrode boiler systems for sector coupling), Kehrichtverwertungsanlagen (waste-to-energy plants), and Energiezentrale (central heating/district heating energy centers). Projects are delivered as turnkey installations from conception through commissioning, serving municipal utilities and industrial customers in Switzerland and Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Projektentwicklung (Project Development) Development of sustainable energy centers, combined heat and power plants, and district heating systems from conception through to turnkey delivery for municipal and industrial clients.
• Anlagenplanung (Plant Planning) Engineering and detailed planning services for thermal plants, including design and technical specifications for biomass CHPs, waste-to-energy plants, Power-to-Heat systems, and district heating networks.
• Montage (Assembly/Installation) Construction and installation services for thermal energy systems and components, covering waste-to-energy plants, biomass CHPs, Power-to-Heat installations, district heating energy centers, and connecting pipe networks.
• Inbetriebnahme (Commissioning) Start-up and commissioning services for completed thermal plant installations, bringing newly built energy centers, biomass CHPs, waste-to-energy plants, and Power-to-Heat installations to operational status.
• Service (Maintenance and Long-Term Operations Support) Ongoing maintenance and service support for thermal energy installations delivered as recurring service contracts, providing lifecycle support for biomass CHPs, waste-to-energy plants, Power-to-Heat systems, and district heating networks.
• Kehrichtverwertungsanlagen (KVA) - Waste-to-Energy Plants Turnkey construction of municipal waste incineration plants that generate sustainable heat and clean electricity from municipal waste, fitted with ultra-low NOx burners achieving emissions of 20 mg/Nm3 and hot water boilers up to 40 MW per unit with availability above 99.8%.
• Holzheizkraftwerk (HHKW) - Biomass Combined Heat and Power Plants Turnkey construction of biomass-fired combined heat and power plants that generate electricity and process steam/heat from wood chips, achieving over 86% overall efficiency. Reference plant HHKW Sisslerfeld delivers 36 MW biomass boiler output, 45 t/h steam, 7 MW electricity, processing 140,000 tonnes of biomass per year and saving 50,000 tonnes CO2 annually.
• Power-to-Heat-Anlagen (Power-to-Heat Plants) Turnkey construction of electrothermal energy storage systems that convert surplus electricity, particularly from renewable wind generation, into district heating using two electrode hot water boilers producing 40 MW total, reaching maximum district heating temperature of 133°C with kessel efficiency exceeding 99.5%. Reference installation for Hamburger Energiewerke supplies district heating for 27,000 Hamburg households and saves 100,000 tonnes CO2 annually.
• Energiezentrale und Fernwärme-Verbindungsleitungen (District Heating Energy Centers and Connection Networks) Turnkey central heating plants and connecting district heating networks for cities and municipalities. Reference project Stadt Zürich ERZ energy center features 3 hot water boilers of 40 MW each, 560 m3 hot water storage, and approximately 13 km of connecting pipelines up to DN 500, designed for PN 40 pressure class at 110°C operating temperature.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 tonnes CO2 saved annually per biomass plant project
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vapec AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVapec AG partnered with CALIQUA for the Power-to-Heat plant construction project in Wedel, handling the large construction and electrical engineering packages. CALIQUA acted as main contractor with Vapec providing specialized construction and electrical services.
• EQUANS (Bouygues Group)coreOthersCALIQUA AG is a subsidiary of EQUANS, part of the Bouygues Group. EQUANS is a global leader in energy and digital transition services with operations in multiple countries. CALIQUA operates within the EQUANS Switzerland organization.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Valmet: Finnish technology and EPC company providing biomass-fired boiler plants and heat/power generation systems; comparable to Caliqua in delivering turnkey biomass CHP and district energy installations for utilities and industrial buyers.
• Hitachi Zosen Inova: Swiss-headquartered global EPC contractor for waste-to-energy (KVA) and biomass plants; directly competes with Caliqua in the same DACH and European municipal thermal plant tender market and serves similar public-sector utilities.
• Sumitomo SHI FW (formerly Metso): Global supplier of circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) biomass boiler plants and EPC services; directly overlaps with Caliqua on biomass CHP, district heating, and high-pressure steam projects.
• ANDRITZ: Austrian-headquartered global EPC and equipment supplier for biomass-fired power plants, district heating, and process steam systems; directly comparable to Caliqua in biomass boiler and CHP project delivery for municipal and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• AFRY: European engineering and consulting firm with a strong energy and district heating practice that delivers biomass, waste-to-energy, and Power-to-Heat advisory and EPC-related services; competes with Caliqua on municipal thermal engineering mandates.
• Dalkia: Large French energy services provider (EDF group) focused on district heating/cooling networks and biomass/waste heat projects; broader portfolio than Caliqua but competes for the same municipal and industrial thermal infrastructure mandates across Europe.
• ENGIE Solutions: Major multinational energy services arm of ENGIE offering district heating, biomass, and Power-to-Heat solutions at scale; competes with Caliqua on municipal thermal infrastructure tenders, with much broader geographic and product coverage.

Regional players

• STEAG: German energy services company with significant district heating and biomass/waste-to-energy operations; a regional incumbent that directly competes with Caliqua for German municipal and industrial thermal projects.
• Münzer Bioindustrie: Austrian biomass processor and energy producer active in the DACH biomass-to-heat and CHP market; comparable as a regional biomass thermal project developer competing with Caliqua for nearby municipal and industrial contracts.

Others

• Vapec AG: Swiss construction and electrical engineering firm that has partnered with Caliqua as a subcontractor on the Wedel Power-to-Heat project; included as an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caliqua-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Caliqua