Company - Kepler

COMPANY

Who are we?

KEPLER, Ingeniería y Ecogestión started its activity in 1995, as an engineering company specialized in the environmental and renewable energy sector. It has an interdisciplinary team located in 8 offices in Spain, Portugal and Morocco that allows it to quickly adapt to the needs of each project.

EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION

Consolidated team

During its 30 years of activity, KEPLER has always sought to stand out for excellence and innovation in all its work, through a firm commitment to R&D and its internal Career Plan, two of its hallmarks.

Proven experience

This has allowed it to incorporate, integrate and consolidate a unique group of professionals. Today, its team is led by a group of Directors, Senior Consultants and Expert Consultants with extensive experience in the environmental, hydropower and biogas sectors.

This quest for excellence has led it to be a pioneer in the environmental sector, as is today supported, by way of example, by more than 550 decontamination projects, 500 soil and water inspections, 300 emergency interventions, 15 completed mini-power plants and, together with its partner Snowleopard, 50 biogas plants.

Image of a man working in a consolidated team

BUSINESS AREAS

KEPLER is organized in three areas:

KEPLER Environment:

It specializes in soil and water remediation, integrated claims management, soil and water inspections, as well as environmental permitting and due diligence.

It is part of KEPLER Environment the Type C Inspection Entity for soil and groundwater characterization accredited by ENAC according to ISO 17020.

2. KEPLER Energy:

It is dedicated to the design and turnkey delivery of hydropower and biogas plants.

Our services cover the entire value chain: technical due diligence, permitting, engineering and construction, O&M and revamping, as well as, in the biogas sector, substrate analysis and capture, laboratory services and diet design.

3. CONTEROL:

CONTEROL is a group company specialized in the distribution of safety and environmental products, as well as in the analysis of technical solutions for hazardous products.

INITIALS

Our origins

Founded by Norbert Nägele and Soledad García de Fuentes

KEPLER is a family company founded in 1995 by the Austrian scientist Norbert Nägele with the support and advice of his wife, the entrepreneur Soledad García de Fuentes.

Scientific DNA

Previously, Norbert was part of different teams at leading research centers and has more than 60 scientific publications in the field of nuclear physics, elementary particles and microbiological techniques applied to the environment. A graduate in nuclear physics ( University of Vienna) and Telecommunications Engineer ( HTL Innsbruck), he has worked as a researcher, among others, at the Paul Scherrer Institute(University of Zurich) and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (known as “CERN“).

Pioneer in the Environmental Sector in Spain

Already in Spain, he observed in the early 90’s how the environmental sector began to develop in our country and how a decade of social, technical and legislative development could be glimpsed. KEPLER was present in all these developments, working and collaborating hand in hand with the main Central European environmental companies. In this way, the scientific and technological knowledge of the environment and the techniques to preserve it were integrated and developed together.

Hydroelectric and Biogas Power Start-Ups

Subsequently, in 1997, KEPLER participated in the first project to build a mini-hydroelectric power plant and, in 2000, started its activity in the biogas sector given the interrelation between the bioremediation of contaminated sites and the biogas production process.

Track Record and Participation in Environmental Advances

Therefore, we can affirm that KEPLER has participated and been present in the main advances that have taken place in Spain in the environmental and biogas sector in the last three decades.

El Instituto Paul Scherrer (Universidad de Zúrich) en un estudio sobre “la fusión nuclear catalizada por muones de hidrogeno, deuterio y tritio”.

La Organización Europea para la Investigación Nuclear (comúnmente conocido como “CERN”) en experimentos sobre “la aniquilación de pares de protón-antiprotón en pares lambda-antilambda” en colaboración con otros centros de investigación de Alemania, Austria, Francia, Suecia y EE.UU.

Ya en España, observó a principios de los 90 como comenzaba a desarrollarse el sector del medio ambiente en nuestro país y como se atisbaba una década de desarrollo social, técnico y legislativo. KEPLER estuvo presente en todos esos avances, trabajando y colaborando mano a mano con las principales empresas medioambientales centroeuropeas. De esta forma, fue integrándose y desarrollándose de forma conjunta el conocimiento científico y tecnológico del medio ambiente y las técnicas para preservarlo.

Posteriormente, en el año 2000, KEPLER inició su actividad en el sector del biogás dada la interrelación entre la bioremediación de emplazamientos contaminados y el proceso de producción de biogás.

Podemos, por ello, afirmar que KEPLER ha participado y estado presente en los principales avances que han acontecido en España en el sector del medio ambiente y el biogás en las últimas tres décadas:

TIMELINE

Historical Milestones

1996

SAMOA organization, first national reference point

Organization and promotion of SAMOA, the first environmental fair in Burgos, a national point of reference in the nineties.

1997

Start-up in mini-hydroelectric power plants

Start of our consulting and engineering services for the construction and maintenance of mini-hydroelectric power plants.

1998

Launch of SIU, now a GIS service

Launch of the Urgent Intervention Service (SIU), today’s GIS service, an innovative solution that quickly became a standard in the industry.

2000

First microbiological treatment of aquifer

First microbiological treatment of a contaminated aquifer in Spain.

2000

Biogas start-ups

Start of our consulting, design and engineering activities for single-stage anaerobic digestion plants.

2001

Claims management in Muskiz

Management of the well-known environmental accident in Muskiz (Vizcaya), a before and after in the technical and operational management of environmental accidents in Spain.

2001

Earth Charter Signatories

Signatories, as experts, of the Earth Charter promoted by the UN, reaffirming our commitment and leadership in caring for our ecosystems.

2002

Decontamination after the "Prestige

Participation in the decontamination works after the “Prestige” accident.

2004

First biotechnology laboratory

Opening of the first biotechnological laboratory in Spain specialized in the remediation of contaminated soils using microorganisms.

2005

Implementation of the SIU in ports

Implementation of the SIU service, currently a GIS service, in the network of ports of general interest.

2007

First Dossier under the new LRM

Leadership and management of the first pollution case in Spain following the approval of the first Environmental Responsibility Law.

2007

Evolution from SIU to GIS

Evolution of the SIU Service towards integrated claims management (ISM), to meet the operational and legal challenges under the new Environmental Liability Law.

2008

Double stage" technology study

Study of the incipient “dual stage” technology developed by our partner Snowleopard, working since then, jointly in the development, engineering and construction of plants with this technology.

2013

Extension of GIS to the energy sector

Extension of the GIS service to the energy sector.

2013

First bioremediation of HTF

First application in Spain of bioremediation techniques to recover soil contaminated by HTF (thermal fluid) (Paya et al., 2015).

2014

First demonstrated degradation of ETBEs and MTBEs

Scientific demonstration, for the first time worldwide, of the microbiological degradation of ETBEs and MTBEs in hydrocarbons at a real site (Bombatch et al., 2015).

2015

FAE Innovation Award

FAE Innovation Award for our contribution to environmental technology.

2015

Biogas utility model

Granting of the Utility Model of an organic substrate treatment station with double stage technology for biogas production.

2016

Biphenyl treatment plant

First microbiological treatment plant for water contaminated with biphenyl and diphenyl oxide.

2019

Molecular laboratory technology

Introduction of molecular (genetic) technology in our laboratory to improve biogas production and soil and water recovery processes.

2001

Patent on microbiological treatment

Patent granted for the invention of an innovative model of a microbiological treatment plant for biphenyl and diphenyl oxide, constituents of thermal oil.

2021

Mushroom treatment of TCE

First scientific evidence of fungal treatment of TCE contaminated soils (Mayans et al., 2021).

2022

Natural attenuation of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide

Confirmation, using molecular biology techniques, of the recovery of an aquifer contaminated by biphenyl and diphenyl oxide by natural attenuation.

2023

Andalusia Decontamination Guide

Participation as technical advisor in the “Guide of the best available techniques for soil decontamination” approved by the Junta de Andalucía.

2024

First institution with AMPTS® III

First private institution to have the third generation of the AMPTS® III, the market leading equipment for batch anaerobic digestion testing.

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2030

MISSION-VISION

Mission

Improve the protection, functioning and diversity of ecosystems that support human life, fauna and flora, understanding this as a responsibility to past, present and future generations.

How do we do it?

Providing value to achieve a pool of satisfied and recurring customers, offering them an excellent and efficient service in terms of quality, time and cost.
Ensuring the quality of our projects, verifying the validity and reliability of the data.
Creating an environment of trust, transparency and participation around the company that is also beneficial to our society in the long term.
Facilitating a good working environment, interdisciplinary, and with a firm commitment to our career plan in which each person can develop their skills, knowledge and creativity.
Making a continuous effort in R&D&I that provides us with new knowledge, products and technologies for our future plan.
Improving competitiveness, minimizing costs through a process of continuous improvement.

Vision

“To be the benchmark company in the sector in terms of quality and knowledge.”

Values

KEPLER has adopted a Management by Values model that is shared by its staff, customers and suppliers:

CERTIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

Certifications and authorizations

KEPLER has integrated management systems for Quality, Health and Safety and Environment and the necessary accreditations to work throughout the national territory: