Stellba Hydro

What Stellba Hydro does

Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG is a German specialty mechanical engineering firm that designs, manufactures, and services water turbines for small and medium-sized hydropower plants. Founded in 1982 as WKA in Heidenheim and rebranded in 2002, the company is headquartered in Herbrechtingen, Baden-Württemberg, and has been owned since 2019 by MW Beteiligungs GmbH. With approximately 80 employees across development, administration, and turbine construction, Stellba operates a CNC-equipped in-house production facility and an assembly crew that handles on-site installation and commissioning.

The company's product portfolio covers the principal reaction and impulse turbine types: Francis (up to 700m head), Kaplan (low head up to 80m), Pelton (high head, impulse), Axent (standardized pipeline turbine for drinking water and industrial piping), and VLH (Very Low Head, fish-friendly turbine with standardized runner diameters of 3.15–5.43m). Engineering is anchored by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) flow simulation, a proprietary 3D visualization environment, virtual testbeds, and laser scanning for capturing geometry of legacy machines — capabilities developed in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Hydraulic Machinery since 1997. Stellba holds exclusive DACH distribution rights for MJ2 Technologies' VLH turbines, positioning it to serve EU Water Framework Directive-driven fish passage and continuity retrofits.

Commercially, Stellba runs an enterprise field-sales model in which project managers accompany each engagement from consulting through engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and commissioning. Revenue is generated through three streams: custom turbine hardware sales, revision and modernization services for existing plants, and engineering/optimization studies. Reference customers include Vattenfall, Verbund, Bayernwerk Natur, Energie Thun, and Illerkraftwerk Au. The firm is ISO 9001 (2005) and ISO 14001 (2009) certified, markets via a multilingual (DE/EN/FR) website and the Stellba Wiki educational resource, and claims over 1,200 turbines delivered since 1982.

Name

Stellba Hydro

Legal name

Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://stellba-hydro.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG is a German specialty engineering firm that designs, manufactures, and services custom water turbines (Francis, Kaplan, Pelton, Axent, VLH) for small and medium-sized hydropower plant operators, holding exclusive DACH distribution rights for fish-friendly VLH turbines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydropower Turbine Manufacturing

NAICS

Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydropower Turbines, Generators & Balance-of-Plant Equipment Manufacturing (EUAMAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydropower EPC & Construction (Civil Works, Electromechanical) (EUACAEAF), Hydropower Operations, Maintenance & Refurbishment (R&M/Life Extension) (EUACAEAG), Hydropower Turbines & Electro-Mechanical Equipment (Turbines, Generators, Governors) (EUAMADAC)

Keywords

• Water turbine manufacturing
• Hydroelectric power equipment
• Turbine modernization services
• Hydropower plant engineering
• Fish-friendly turbines

Headquarters

HQ city

Herbrechtingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Turbine Construction and Manufacturing: Design, manufacturing, and supply of water turbines including runners, guide vanes, and other turbine components. Manufacturing is done in-house with CNC machinery. Includes Francis, Kaplan, Pelton, Axent, and VLH turbines. Over 1,200 water turbines have left the company since 1982.
2. Revision and Modernization Services: Professional overhauls and modernization of existing hydropower plants. Services include inspection, general overhaul, and bringing components up to state-of-the-art technology. Focuses on maintaining value of existing machines and maximizing availability.
3. Turbine Optimization: Analysis, consulting, and optimization services using flow simulations to increase efficiency, extend operating range, and identify untapped potential. Includes potential studies and detailed inventory analysis.
4. Assembly and Commissioning: Expert assembly services for hydropower plants. Includes disassembly, measurement protocols, pre-assembly in factory, and on-site installation to ensure short downtimes and smooth long-term operation.
5. Engineering Studies: Technical studies for water turbines including feasibility assessments, hydraulic design analysis, and pre-studies for modernization projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stellba Hydro designs, manufactures, and services custom water turbines (Francis, Kaplan, Pelton, Axent, and VLH types) for small and medium-sized hydropower plants. The company provides comprehensive solutions from a single source, including consulting, engineering, in-house CNC manufacturing, assembly, and commissioning, with exclusive DACH distribution rights for the fish-friendly VLH turbine.

Product overview

Stellba Hydro is a medium-sized company offering a comprehensive portfolio of water turbine products and services for small and medium-sized hydropower plants worldwide. The product lineup includes five distinct turbine types: Francis Turbine (universal application, up to 700m head), Kaplan Turbine (axial-flow for low heads up to 80m), Pelton Turbine (impulse type for high heads), Axent Turbine (pipeline turbine for drinking/industrial water systems), and VLH Turbine (fish-friendly Very Low Head turbine with exclusive distribution rights in DACH region). These turbine products are complemented by four service offerings: Turbine Construction (custom manufacturing), Optimization (flow simulation and efficiency improvements), Revision & Modernization (overhaul and upgrades), and Assembly (installation and commissioning). The company operates approximately 80 employees in development, administration and turbine construction, with a modern production facility in Herbrechtingen, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Francis Turbine Universal water turbine for heads up to 700m and medium flow rates with efficiency up to 95%, featuring spiral housing and adjustable guide vanes for flow control. Used in medium-to-high head hydropower plants.
• Kaplan Turbine Axial-flow water turbine with adjustable runner blades suitable for low heads up to 80m and large fluctuating flow rates, achieving efficiency up to 95%. Used in low-head hydropower plants.
• Pelton Turbine Impulse turbine for high-head applications using kinetic energy of water jets hitting bucket-shaped runner blades, with efficiency between 85-92%.
• Axent Turbine

Quantifiable outcome

• Turbine efficiency improvement potential of 10% or more through optimization
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MJ2 TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationMJ2 Technologies developed the VLH (Very Low Head) turbine, a standardized, fish-friendly turbine for low-head applications. Stellba Hydro holds exclusive distribution rights for this product in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
• IHS (Institute of Hydraulic Machinery) University of StuttgartmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation began in 1997 with the Institute of Hydraulic Machinery (IHS) of the University of Stuttgart in the field of hydraulic design and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This partnership provides academic rigor to Stellba's engineering capabilities.
• Bayernwerk Natur GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint venture partner (50%) in Wasserkraft Baierbrunn GmbH operating the Baierbrunn hydropower plant on the Isar river. Bayernwerk Natur is the leading partner in this joint venture.
• Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint venture partner (50%) in Wasserkraft Baierbrunn GmbH operating the Baierbrunn hydropower plant on the Isar river.
• Illerkraftwerk Au GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustomer and partner for the first VLH turbine installation in Germany at Au an der Iller location in 2015. Stellba supplied, assembled, and commissioned 2 VLH turbines.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rainpower: Rainpower is a Norwegian supplier of hydropower turbines and complete electromechanical packages, focused on small and medium hydro. It is a direct peer with overlapping product categories and customer segments in Northern Europe.
• Mavel: Mavel is a Czech manufacturer of small and micro hydro turbines (Kaplan, Francis, Pelton) with global reach. It is a direct peer competing with Stellba in the small/medium hydro aftermarket and new-unit market.
• Litostroj Power: Litostroj Power is a Slovenian manufacturer of Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton turbines for small and medium hydropower plants. It is a direct peer with comparable offerings to Stellba, particularly in the European small-hydro modernization segment.
• Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon: Gilkes is a UK-based manufacturer of Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton turbines, serving small and medium hydropower plants worldwide. It is a direct peer with comparable product range, customer base, and project-based engineering model.

Broad incumbents

• ANDRITZ Hydro: ANDRITZ Hydro is one of the world's largest hydropower equipment suppliers, covering turbines, generators, and complete electromechanical packages. It competes with Stellba across the small/medium hydro modernization segment and on larger utility tenders in Europe.
• Toshiba Energy Systems (Hydro): Toshiba supplies hydro turbines and generators for utility and small hydro applications globally. It is a broad incumbent whose small/medium hydro offering competes with Stellba in international modernization projects.
• Voith Hydro: Voith Hydro is a global hydropower OEM offering Francis, Kaplan, and Pelton turbines, generators, and full plant EPC. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping engineering and manufacturing capabilities that competes with Stellba on medium-sized hydro projects in DACH.
• GE Renewable Energy (Hydro): GE's hydropower business supplies turbines, generators, and services globally, including small and medium hydro. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Stellba in the European retrofit and modernization market.

Emerging players

• HydroHRC: HydroHRC is an emerging engineering and equipment provider focused on small and medium hydro, including turbine retrofit and digital monitoring. It is an emerging competitor in the modernization segment where Stellba's CFD and optimization services compete.
• VLH Technologies (MJ2 Technologies): VLH Technologies is the French developer of the fish-friendly Very Low Head turbine that Stellba distributes exclusively in DACH. It is an emerging partner/peer with overlapping technology in the low-head, fish-friendly niche where Stellba operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Stellba Hydro