Herrenknecht

Herrenknecht
Name	Herrenknecht AG
Founded	1977
Founder	Martin Herrenknecht
Headquarters	Schwanau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Key people	Martin Herrenknecht, Thomas Schulz, Bodo Tafel, Michael Kleinjohann
Industry	Tunnel boring machines
Products	Tunnel boring machines, shield tunnelling, slurry TBMs, EPB TBMs
Revenue	(example) €1.3 billion (2019)
Employees	~6,800 (2019)
Website	(company site)

Herrenknecht is a German manufacturer of tunnel boring machines and provider of tunnelling technology for civil engineering and infrastructure projects. The company develops mechanized solutions used in urban transit, water conveyance, road tunnels, and mining, working with international contractors, municipal authorities, and engineering firms. Herrenknecht machines have been deployed on projects associated with major institutions and high-profile works across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

History

Herrenknecht was founded in 1977 by Martin Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, emerging during a period of expansion in European infrastructure linked to projects like the Channel Tunnel and the pan-European transport networks overseen by the European Commission. Early contracts connected the firm with firms such as Hochtief, Bilfinger Berger, Siemens, and Vinci, while academic collaborations involved institutions like the Technical University of Munich and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. During the 1990s and 2000s Herrenknecht expanded internationally, supplying machines for metro lines in cities including Berlin U-Bahn, London Underground, Paris Métro, Moscow Metro, and Shanghai Metro, and for hydropower projects associated with entities like Électricité de France and China Three Gorges Corporation. Strategic partnerships and procurement deals linked Herrenknecht to contractors on megaprojects such as the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel proposals, and the East Side Access project in New York. The company navigated market shifts influenced by infrastructure stimulus programs led by bodies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Products and Technology

Herrenknecht designs and manufactures a range of mechanized tunnelling systems, including slurry-type tunnel boring machines (TBMs), Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBMs, double-shield TBMs, and microtunnelling equipment used by operators such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), Transport for London, and municipal agencies in Singapore. Core technologies integrate systems supplied by industrial partners like ABB, Siemens AG, KSB, and Bosch Rexroth for drive, control, and hydraulic subsystems. Control systems reference standards from organizations such as DIN and ISO, while the company collaborates with research centers like the Fraunhofer Society and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland on automation, remote monitoring, and cutterhead design. Herrenknecht machines are adapted for use in geology ranging from the karst formations of Yucatan to the gneiss of the Alps and the clay of the Netherlands, interfacing with geotechnical firms like Arup, WSP Global, AECOM, and Ramboll for ground investigations and risk management.

Major Projects and Installations

Herrenknecht TBMs have been used on numerous high-profile projects. Examples include tunnelling works on the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, metro extensions for the London Underground and Paris Métro, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed 1) connections in the United Kingdom, and the Metro de Santiago expansions in Chile. Machines were supplied for water conveyance and sewer projects managed by utilities such as Thames Water, Svenska Kraftnät, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, as well as hydroelectric tunnel works for companies like Statkraft and Iberdrola. Urban underground projects include work for transit authorities such as MTR Corporation in Hong Kong, SMRT Corporation in Singapore, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for extensions in Boston. Internationally, Herrenknecht participated in tunnelling for projects linked to the Los Angeles Metro, the Doha Metro, Riyadh Metro, and river diversion schemes associated with Beijing Water Authority and São Paulo sanitation programs.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Herrenknecht AG is a privately held engineering firm headquartered in Schwanau, with operational subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities in locations including Schwanau, Rostock, Leipzig, Shanghai, Wuxi, Jakarta, and Lakewood, Colorado. The company's ownership and governance have involved the founding family and an executive board reporting to a supervisory board with members drawn from the engineering and finance sectors, collaborating with banks and investors such as KfW, Deutsche Bank, and export credit agencies. Joint ventures and service partnerships have linked Herrenknecht to contractors and OEMs like Perforadora Central, China Railway Group, ACS Group, and Strabag, while procurement relationships connect suppliers including ThyssenKrupp, SKF, and Danfoss.

Research, Innovation, and Patents

Research and innovation at Herrenknecht encompass cutterhead geometries, ground conditioning, slurry treatment plants, and digitalisation including machine-integrated sensors and SCADA systems. The company files patents and collaborates with institutional partners such as RWTH Aachen University, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology on tunnelling mechanics and materials science. Innovations have been driven in concert with component suppliers like Siemens Energy and Epiroc, and with research funding from agencies including the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the European Research Council. Herrenknecht's technology has been presented at industry conferences and associations including the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA), the World Tunnel Congress, and publications in journals associated with ICE Publishing and ASCE.

Environmental and Safety Practices

Herrenknecht implements safety management aligned with standards from bodies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for projects in the United States and DGUV in Germany, and environmental compliance with regulations from authorities like the European Environment Agency and national ministries of environment. Environmental measures address spoil management, slurry recycling, noise and vibration mitigation in urban contexts like Amsterdam, Berlin, and Mumbai, and groundwater protection in sensitive areas such as the Alpine region and coastal projects in Denmark. The company engages with sustainability initiatives and clients including UNEP programs, and integrates best practices promoted by organisations like ISO and the Global Reporting Initiative for workplace safety, lifecycle assessment, and community impact mitigation.

Category:Engineering companies of Germany Category:Tunnel boring machines Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1977