What GEKA MbH does

GEKA mbH (Gesellschaft zur Entsorgung von chemischen Kampfstoffen und Rüstungsaltlasten mbH) is a wholly-owned Bundesgesellschaft of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and the only entity in Germany licensed to destroy chemical munitions under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWÜ). Founded in 1929 and headquartered on a 300,000 m² secured site at Humboldtstraße 110 in Munster, Lower Saxony (registered office in Lüneburg), GEKA operates five integrated high-hazard plant complexes: two Verbrennungsanlagen (incineration plants operating at >1,000°C with multi-stage exhaust scrubbing), a Bodenwäsche (Germany's only soil-washing prototype), a Plasmaanlage (plasma pyrolysis at 1,350–1,550°C producing stable glass melt), a Sprengofen (detonation furnace for munitions up to 2.3 kg NEM), and a Munitionszerlegung facility including a Bombensägeanlage for chemical bombs up to 2,000 kg TNT equivalent — all monitored from a 24/7 Leitwarte with 30+ screens and supported by an on-site Werksfeuerwehr.

The company executes the federal mandate to remediate rüstungsaltlasten (military legacy contamination) from both World Wars, having destroyed 2,585 tonnes of chemical weapons alone between 2006 and 2012 under CWÜ compliance. Its workforce of ~170 specialists (Feuerwerker, C-Feuerwerker, engineers, environmental chemists) plus 72 trained part-time industrial firefighters operates under ISO 9001/14001/50001, EMAS, and Entsorgungsfachbetrieb certifications, with continuous oversight by Gewerbeaufsichtsamt Celle.

Revenue is derived from federal budget allocations and direct government contracts (BMVg is sole shareholder and primary client), supplemented by a secondary commercial line offering consulting, training/coaching, and on-site support to industrial clients and international organisations (prior projects in France, Russia, Japan). The Sprengofen 2 expansion (construction 2024, commissioning Q1 2025) will double munitions-destruction capacity to 2,000 t/year, with permits pursued under §16 BImSchG via Gewerbeaufsichtsamt Lüneburg.

Name

GEKA MbH

Legal name

Gesellschaft zur Entsorgung von chemischen Kampfstoffen und Rüstungsaltlasten mbH

Website

https://geka-munster.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GEKA mbH is the German Federal Ministry of Defence's wholly-owned entity operating Germany's only CWÜ-compliant chemical-weapons destruction facility in Munster, also disposing conventional munitions and rüstungsaltlasten via five integrated high-hazard plant complexes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Weapons and Munitions Disposal Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Remediation Services (562910), Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Demilitarization, Disposal & Ordnance Remediation (EOD Support) (IMABAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hazardous Waste Management (Collection/Treatment/Disposal) (IMAIAFAI), Chemical Tank Cleaning, Decontamination & Turnaround Waste Services (BPALAHAH)

Keywords

• Chemical weapons disposal
• Munitions destruction services
• Contaminated soil remediation
• Military legacy remediation
• Hazardous waste treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Munster, Lower Saxony

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Contract Revenue: GEKA mbH is 100% owned by the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and operates exclusively under a federal mandate to destroy chemical weapons and remediate military rüstungsaltlasten. Revenue is derived from federal budget allocations and direct government contracts for disposal services. The company works in Auftrag des Bundes (on behalf of the federal government).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GEKA mbH provides specialized high-hazard disposal and remediation services for chemical warfare agents, conventional munitions, and military legacy contamination (Rüstungsaltlasten) on a 300,000 m² secured federal site in Munster, Germany. The company is the only entity in Germany authorized under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWÜ) to destroy chemical munitions, operating five integrated plant complexes — incineration plants, a soil washing plant (a unique prototype in Germany), a plasma pyrolysis plant, a detonation furnace, and a munition disassembly facility. It complements these disposal services with consulting, training, and on-site support services for industrial clients and international organizations.

Product overview

GEKA mbH operates a unified industrial disposal platform consisting of five interconnected facility complexes: the 1st and 2nd Combustion Plants for high-temperature incineration, a Soil Washing Plant for contaminated earth remediation, a Plasma Pyrolysis Plant for highly contaminated materials, an Explosion Furnace for controlled munitions destruction, and a Munition Disassembly facility including bomb saw capabilities. All facilities operate under centralized 24-hour control room supervision. The company exclusively holds authorization in Germany for Chemical Weapons Convention (CWÜ/CWC) compliant destruction of chemical munitions. Beyond core disposal operations, GEKA offers complementary consulting, training, and on-site support services, enabling clients to safely handle explosives, plan new facilities, and conduct remediation projects. The facilities process chemical weapons, conventional munitions, contaminated soils, and industrial hazardous wastes under strict environmental and safety regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kampfmittelentsorgung (Munitions Disposal Service) Complete end-to-end disposal service for chemical and conventional munitions, including identification, X-ray analysis, disassembly, and destruction. GEKA is the only German company authorized for Chemical Weapons Convention (CWÜ) compliant destruction of chemical ammunition, serving the German Federal Government and federal partners.
• Altlastenentsorgung (Contaminated Land Remediation Service) Comprehensive remediation services for contaminated soils from former military or industrial use, employing soil washing and plasma pyrolysis technologies to decontaminate and restore affected areas. The plasma process permanently encapsulates toxic elements such as arsenic in stable glass melt.
• Consulting Services for Disposal Facilities Expert consultation on planning disposal facilities for dangerous materials including explosives, ammunition, and hazardous waste. Provides technical specifications, process design recommendations, and operational guidance for chemical or conventional munitions disposal facilities to industrial clients, municipalities, and international organizations.
• Training and Coaching (Aus- und Fortbildung) Professional training programs for safe handling of explosives and ammunition, including both classroom instruction and practical exercises covering equipment operation, munition disposal, transport, storage, and handling procedures. On-site support during facility commissioning is also provided.
• On-Site Support Services for Remediation Projects On-site technical support during remediation projects with hazard potential, providing experienced munition experts and firefighters, including C-feuerwerker for chemical weapons. Assists with remediation concept development, construction supervision, and accompaniment of excavation work with elevated munitions risk.

Quantifiable outcome

• From 2006–2012: 2,585 tonnes of chemical weapons destroyed in compliance with CWÜ
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut der Bundeswehr MunstercoreOthers · 1 March 2012Since March 2012, GEKA's on-site Werksfeuerwehr (industrial fire brigade) has been additionally responsible for the fire protection and emergency response of the adjacent Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut der Bundeswehr (BWI) in Munster. This is a key operational security partnership within the federal defence research complex.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors, Inc. North America's largest hazardous waste management company, providing Collection/Treatment/Disposal services across chemical, industrial, and contaminated site cleanup. Highly comparable to GEKA on the hazardous-waste and environmental remediation side, though broader in scope and not specialized in chemical weapons/munitions.
• AECOM: Global environmental consulting and remediation contractor with extensive site cleanup, munitions response, and federal environmental services work (e.g., Formerly Used Defense Sites program). Comparable on military/contaminated-site remediation, though project-based rather than operator of dedicated disposal facilities.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global waste management and hazardous waste services provider with significant industrial and chemical waste treatment operations. Comparable on the hazardous waste treatment/disposal infrastructure, though broader focus and no chemical weapons specialty.
• Babcock International Group: UK defense support contractor with munitions management, demilitarization, and hazardous material disposal services for the Ministry of Defence. Comparable on the gov-contracted demilitarization/munitions disposal mission, though bundled with broader defense engineering.
• KBR, Inc. Global engineering and government services contractor with munitions demilitarization, environmental remediation, and chemical weapons destruction projects (notably for the US Army). Comparable on the military/government hazardous waste disposal mission, though with broad portfolio.

Direct peers

• Perma-Fix Environmental Services: Treatment and disposal of hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste; operates incineration and processing facilities for chemical/industrial waste. Highly comparable thermal treatment and regulated waste capabilities to GEKA's Verbrennungsanlage and Plasmaanlage.
• Heritage Environmental Services: US provider of hazardous waste transportation, treatment, and disposal, including specialized chemical destruction and incident response. Closely comparable to GEKA's core hazardous waste/CWÜ-compliant disposal mission, with similar regulatory certifications and government/industrial client mix.
• EnergySolutions: Specializes in the treatment, recycling, and disposal of nuclear and hazardous waste with government/utility clients. Comparable on the high-hazard, federally-mandated disposal mandate and specialty treatment infrastructure, though with greater nuclear focus.

Regional players

• Studsvik: Swedish nuclear and hazardous waste management services provider with government/industrial clients and specialized treatment facilities. Comparable on the federally-mandated, highly specialized high-hazard disposal infrastructure, though focused on nuclear rather than chemical.

Emerging players

• Stericycle, Inc. Specialized regulated waste services provider with regulated medical waste and hazardous waste collection/disposal operations. Comparable on the regulated waste handling and compliance-driven service model, though primarily medical/industrial rather than chemical weapons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geka-mbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 GEKA MbH