The company

The mid-sized company SOKRATHERM was founded in 1977 by Dipl.-Ing. Hermann Meinhold in Hiddenhausen (Northwestern Germany) and is active in the field of energy and heat technology since then. Today SOKRATHERM is one of the leading producers of combined heat and power generation units (CHP units) which produce heat and power very efficiently and eco-friendly by utilizing the cogeneration principle.

!n 1990 SOKRATHERM has entered a licence contract with the engine manufacturer IFA-Motorenwerke Nordhausen in Eastern Germany to build CHP units which, however, ended two years later due to the closure of the IFA-Motorenwerke. Subsequently SOKRATHERM founded a subsidiary in Nordhausen in 1992 and erected an own production plant in 1996. With the continuously rising demand for its CHP units, it doubled its production area in 2008 and expanded further in 2012 and 2018. The ca. 5000 m² of workspace today contain the CHP unit production with test sites and switchgear cabinet construction as well as the construction, purchasing, documentation and technical service departments equipped with latest information technology.

At the head offce Hiddenhausen, since 2021 in a new office building, the departments administration, sales and project department are located. Together with sales offices in Germany and international sales and service partners a steady growth could be achieved. Currently SOKRATHERM engages ca. 150 employees and ca. 10 apprentices. With the entry of Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Meinhold as managing director in 2014 the family company was handed over to the next generation.

When CHP units were usually mounted at the construciton site SOKRATHERM already delivered compact CHP units, meaning ready-to-connect units with sound absorbing case and integrated switchgear cabinet. The focus of the product range has grown from its beginnings in the 50 kW class to substantially more powerful CHP units. In 1993 SOKRATHERM became the market leader of the 100 kW CHP unit class, presented on the EXPO 2000 fair a 200 kW compact CHP unit, introduced the most compact CHP unit of the 400 kW class in 2007 and brought in 2013 the currently most powerful compact CHP unit with 532 kW to the market. All CHP units of the 400 and 500 kW class are available with a fully integrated SCR catalyst. In 2020, by commissioning its first 1000 kW Genset, the company entered the Megawatt class.

In all compact CHP units the iPC control system based on an industrial PC provides for a fully automatic, unattended operation and makes a comprehensive, web-based remote control and smooth integration in virtual power plants possible.

High product quality, continuous innovation and smart maintenance concepts have generated an excellent reputation of the SOKRATHERM compact CHP units. It is documented in the constantly high customer satisfaction which is measured in the course of our regularly ISO 9001 certified quality management system. Numerous reports in the professional press and awards  confirm this as well as the satisfied customers of circa 2000 compact CHP units delivered in over 20 countries.