What Buchen does

BUCHEN UmweltService GmbH is a German industrial services company headquartered in Cologne (Köln) and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of REMONDIS Maintenance & Services GmbH & Co. KG, within the broader REMONDIS Group. The company provides specialized industrial cleaning, hazardous material removal, industrial waste and hazardous materials disposal, safety equipment management (SafetyServices), foundry services (including closed-loop amine recycling of more than 30 years' standing), plate heat exchanger services, suction dredge and industrial sewer services, and industrial chemical cleaning. These services target large industrial clients — refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical companies, power plants, and heavy industry — alongside municipal, fire/rescue, foundry, and biogas plant operators, delivered via project-based engagements and long-term framework agreements.

The company's technical differentiator is a portfolio of in-house developed automated cleaning equipment covered by approximately 20 patents and utility models. Flagship technologies include HYDROMATE® (a worldwide unique fully automated internal cleaning system for heat exchangers), the Automated Industrial Cleaner (AIC) six-axis cleaning robot, the Mobile High-Pressure Manipulator (MHM), mobile carriages for vertical heat-exchanger cleaning, and an automated conveyor washing system. Supporting capabilities include high-pressure water technology up to 3,000 bar, suction dredge vehicles (up to 8 m³/h), combined industrial flushing and suction vehicles, water abrasive suspension (WASS) cold-cutting, and ultrasound cleaning. Hard-to-replicate regulatory permits — KrWG §56 waste management, WHG specialist status, asbestos removal (TRGS 519), KTA 1401 radiation protection, plus ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001, SCCP, and RAL quality seals — anchor the compliance moat.

Commercially, BUCHEN operates through direct enterprise field sales across approximately 70 locations in 12 countries in Europe and Asia, with service delivery on client sites. The company bundles its offering with sister company XERVON (scaffolding, maintenance, surface technology, insulation) under the REMONDIS Maintenance & Services umbrella, and runs additional subsidiaries including FILTRATEC, BUCHEN EnergyServices, BUCHEN-ICS, BUCHEN NuklearService, HEINZ PULS, OSRO-Ostgathe, TRG Cyclamin, and REYM. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per project or framework agreement based on scope and complexity. Marketing is relationship-driven, anchored on the corporate website (buchen.net), the 'up2date' customer magazine, industry events, the buchen-karriere.de careers portal, and LinkedIn/YouTube. The company is privately held; no revenue, funding, or valuation is publicly disclosed.

Name

Buchen

Legal name

BUCHEN UmweltService GmbH

Website

https://buchen.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

BUCHEN UmweltService GmbH is a Cologne-based, REMONDIS-owned industrial services company providing specialized cleaning, hazardous-material removal, waste disposal, safety equipment management, and turnaround services to refineries, chemical plants, and heavy industry across approximately 70 locations in 12 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Services

NAICS

Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Remediation Services (56291)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Cleaning & Decontamination (Hydroblasting/Vacuum/Confined Space) (IMAIACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemical Tank Cleaning, Decontamination & Turnaround Waste Services (BPALAHAH), Industrial Vacuum & Tank Cleaning Services (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Industrial cleaning services
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Industrial maintenance services
• Turnaround management services
• Chemical industrial cleaning

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Cleaning Services: Core revenue stream encompassing high-pressure water cleaning (manual and automated), column/tank cleaning, ultrasound cleaning, chemical cleaning, biogas plant cleaning, cold cutting, and turnaround management. Delivered by specialized field teams at client sites across ~70 locations in 12 countries.
2. Hazardous Material Removal & Contaminated Site Remediation: Removal of contaminated materials including asbestos, mold, fire/water damage, PCBs, heavy metals, PAHs, and other hazardous substances. Covers full process chain from analysis to safe disposal. Includes asbestos removal as a growing specialty driven by EU Green Deal deadlines.
3. Industrial Waste & Hazardous Materials Disposal: Proper expert disposal of industrial waste with varying hazard potential. Leverages REMONDIS Group's network of treatment and disposal plants. Includes waste consulting, material flow management, and full-service waste management for clients.
4. SafetyServices: Safety equipment management including consulting, training, rental (24/7 via Safety Shops and automated Service Points), maintenance, and sales. Covers breathing apparatus, personal protective equipment, gas measurement technology. Service centers in Cologne, Bottrop, and Leuna.
5. Foundry Services (Amine Recycling): Closed-loop amine recycling for iron and aluminum foundries. Collection of loaded wash concentrate, transport to amine recycling plants, recovery to high-purity product for reuse in cold box process. Tried and tested for over 30 years. Also includes technical consulting, plant maintenance, and spare parts service.
6. Plate Heat Exchanger Services: Full-service package covering all makes: disassembly, cleaning (chemical bath or CIP process), inspection, seal replacement, reassembly, pressure testing, and repair. Includes provision of spare parts in original or OEM quality.
7. Suction Dredge Services: Vacuum excavation services for applications ranging from road construction to industrial plant draining. Short operating times without laborious preparation. Environmentally friendly extraction of both wet and dry materials.
8. Industrial Sewer Services: Cleaning, inspection, leak testing, and restoration of industrial sewer systems. Includes sewer TV inspection with camera technology, 3D panoramic scanner inspections without entry, and restoration planning.
9. Industrial Chemical Cleaning (ICS): Chemical industrial cleaning including pickling & passivation of steel systems (including fluoride/phosphate-free options for stainless steel), hydrocarbon decontamination, system component cleaning, initial cleaning of new plants, derouging & passivation of pharma installations, and food & beverage plant cleaning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BUCHEN UmweltService is a full-service industrial services provider delivering specialized industrial cleaning, hazardous material removal, and industrial waste disposal to refineries, chemical plants, power plants, and heavy industry across Europe and Asia. The company executes high-pressure water cleaning (up to 3,000 bar), chemical cleaning, contaminated material remediation, plate heat exchanger services, suction dredge operations, foundry amine recycling, sewer services, and turnaround management using proprietary automated equipment (HYDROMATE®, AIC robot, MHM). It also operates a SafetyServices division for breathing apparatus, PPE, and gas measurement equipment rental, training, and maintenance.

Product overview

BUCHEN UmweltService is an industrial services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized services for cleaning and maintaining industrial systems. The core offerings include industrial cleaning (Industriereinigung), contaminated material removal (Schadstoffsanierung), industrial waste and hazardous materials disposal, SafetyServices, foundry services, plate heat exchanger services, suction dredge services, industrial sewer services, and industrial chemical cleaning. The company differentiates through proprietary technologies including HYDROMATE® (automated heat exchanger cleaning), the Automated Industrial Cleaner (AIC) robot, Mobile High-Pressure Manipulator (MHM), and specialized ultrasound cleaning and WASS cutting technologies. BUCHEN operates through multiple subsidiaries including FILTRATEC (sludge dewatering), BUCHEN EnergyServices, BUCHEN-ICS, OSRO-Ostgathe, TRG Cyclamin (amine recycling), BUCHEN NuklearService, HEINZ PULS, and REYM. The company is part of the REMONDIS Maintenance & Services group and XERVON Group, operating approximately 70 locations in 12 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HYDROMATE: A globally unique solution for the fully automated internal cleaning of heat exchangers.
• AIC (Automated Industrial Cleaner)
• SafetyServices

Products and services

• Industrial Cleaning (Industriereinigung) Professional industrial cleaning services for refineries, chemical plants, and heavy industry using high-pressure water cleaning, column cleaning, ultrasound cleaning, chemical cleaning, biogas plant services, cold cutting, and turnaround management.
• Removal of Contaminated Materials (Schadstoffsanierung) Expert removal of hazardous materials including asbestos, KMF, fire/water damage, PCBs, carcinogenic metals, and organic substances, covering analysis through compliant disposal.
• Industrial Waste and Hazardous Materials Disposal Proper expert disposal of industrial waste with various hazard potentials, supported by REMONDIS Group's network of treatment and disposal plants. Includes waste consulting and material flow management.
• SafetyServices Comprehensive safety equipment services including consulting, training, rental (24/7 via Safety Shops and automated Service Points), maintenance, and sales of breathing apparatus, personal protective equipment, and gas measurement technology. Service centers in Cologne, Bottrop, and Leuna.
• Foundry Services (Gießereiservice) Services for iron and aluminum foundries including closed-loop amine recycling in proprietary plants (tried and tested for over 30 years), waste consultancy, logistics, and analytics services.
• Plate Heat Exchanger Services Full-service package for plate heat exchangers including disassembly, chemical bath or CIP cleaning, inspection, seal replacement, reassembly, pressure testing, and repair. Covers all makes with OEM-quality spare parts.
• Suction Dredge Services Vacuum excavation services for road construction, industrial plant draining, pipe exposing, and contaminated substance removal. Suction performance up to 8 m³/h with capability to extract materials up to 250 mm diameter and 20 kg individual weight.
• Industrial Sewer Services Professional sewer cleaning, inspection, leak testing, and restoration services using high-pressure flushing, suction devices, sewer TV inspection with camera technology, and 3D panoramic scanner inspections without entry.
• Industrial Chemical Service Chemical industrial cleaning including pickling and passivation of steel systems (including fluoride/phosphate-free options for stainless steel), hydrocarbon decontamination, system component cleaning, initial cleaning of new plants, derouging and passivation of pharma installations, and food and beverage plant cleaning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fully automated internal cleaning of heat exchangers with reproducible performance and result logging
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• XERVON GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXERVON is a separate corporate group under the umbrella of REMONDIS Maintenance & Services, BUCHEN's parent company. XERVON is active worldwide, specializing in technical services. The service portfolios of BUCHEN and XERVON complement one another perfectly. BUCHEN and XERVON jointly expand industrial services for oil, gas, and chemical sectors, notably in the Middle East. Integration allows BUCHEN to offer further disciplines from a single source including scaffolding construction, maintenance, surface technology, and insulation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors: Clean Harbors is a North American environmental and industrial services company providing hazardous waste disposal, industrial cleaning, and emergency response to refineries, chemical plants, and manufacturers. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in industrial cleaning and hazardous material handling, though primarily North American in footprint.
• Bilfinger: Bilfinger is a leading European industrial services provider headquartered in Germany with a portfolio spanning consulting, engineering, maintenance, and industrial cleaning for process industries. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Buchen on industrial cleaning, turnaround services, and petrochemical/chemical/refinery customers, but operates at significantly larger scale and across more service lines.
• Enviri (formerly Harsco): Enviri (formerly Harsco) provides environmental and industrial services including industrial cleaning, on-site services, and waste management to metals, energy, and industrial customers. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Buchen on industrial cleaning and hazardous materials management, though its portfolio spans many other industrial services.

Direct peers

• Team Industrial Services: Team Industrial Services is a US-headquartered specialty industrial services provider offering on-site cleaning, NDE, and heat exchanger services to refineries and chemical plants. It competes with Buchen on heat exchanger services, chemical cleaning, and turnaround execution in international markets.
• Mistras Group: Mistras is a US-based provider of technology-enabled industrial services including inspection, cleaning, and environmental protection for oil & gas, power, and chemical customers. It is a direct peer in specialty on-site industrial cleaning and integrity services for process industry customers comparable to Buchen's refinery and chemical client base.
• Stork (Fluor): Stork, part of Fluor, provides specialized industrial services including mechanical, cleaning, and maintenance for the oil & gas, chemical, and power industries globally. It is a direct peer in industrial cleaning and turnaround management, with overlapping refinery and petrochemical customers across Europe and the Middle East.
• Brand Industrial Services: Brand Industrial Services provides industrial cleaning, coating, insulation, and scaffolding services to refineries, chemical plants, and heavy industrial customers across the US and Europe. It is a direct peer in on-site industrial cleaning and turnaround support, serving the same end-market verticals as Buchen.
• Muehlhan AG: Muehlhan is a Hamburg-based industrial services company offering surface protection, insulation, scaffolding, and industrial cleaning primarily to shipyards, offshore, and energy customers. It directly overlaps with Buchen/XERVON in industrial cleaning and access services for refineries, chemical plants, and offshore assets, and competes for similar European enterprise contracts.
• CIRCOR (KMT Industrial Services): CIRCOR's KMT Industrial Services unit provides specialty industrial services including on-site cleaning, hot tapping, and field machining to refineries, petrochemical, and power customers. It competes directly with Buchen's heat exchanger services and high-pressure cleaning offerings in similar end markets.

Others

• Veolia Environmental Services: Veolia is one of the world's largest environmental services groups, with industrial service offerings including hazardous waste management, decontamination, and industrial cleaning across Europe. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Buchen on waste disposal, hazardous material handling, and site remediation but operates at much larger scale with a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BUCHEN1844

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Buchen