Support for Fehntjer Innovation

The Leerland district administrator Bernhard Bramlage personally delivered the approval notice, as truth is the first in Leer district to receive funding for his innovative idea. Business owner Ludger Wahrheit (left) is planning a machine that can clean activated carbon filters. Photos: Moormann

The company Wahrheit Anlagenbau from Rhaudermoor has been funded with 100,000 euros. Owner Ludger Wahrheit is designing a machine for cleaning activated carbon filters. He is the first in the Leer district to receive funding in the innovation sector.

"Normally, approval notices are sent by a caseworker via mail," said District Administrator Bernhard Bramlage on Thursday. However, in this case, he personally came to Rhaudermoor to deliver the good news. Because the company Wahrheit Anlagenbau, located in the industrial area of Rhaudermoor, was granted a "Grant to Strengthen Small Businesses in Development and Innovation" amounting to 100,000 euros on Thursday. The special thing about this funding, Bramlage explained, is that company owner Ludger Wahrheit is the first in the district to receive support in the innovation sector. Usually, expanding companies, for example, in building extensions, are financially supported. In this case, it is Wahrheit's idea that secured the funding.

The technical business economist is planning a machine that can clean hybrid activated carbon filters. "These filters are used by companies that manufacture computer chips and need to be replaced once a year," Wahrheit explained. The filters are used to clean hydrocarbons from the air in so-called cleanrooms. In this highly sterile environment, sensitive chips can be manufactured. Hydrocarbons in the air would destroy the chips.

Each filter costs chip manufacturers about 150 euros. "And in a medium-sized company, there can quickly be 250 filters," said Wahrheit. With his cleaning process, the filters could be "regenerated" at a fraction of this cost through heat treatment, as the company owner emphasizes. During the cleaning process, 200-degree hot air flows through the filters, removing the hydrocarbons inside. These are then expelled by the hot air. He has already established initial contacts with companies, Wahrheit said. With the money, he wants to further develop both the construction and research of his machine. Because besides cleaning with hot air, there are alternative methods to be tested, such as using infrared and microwave radiation. The funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the regional sub-budget (RTB) of the district. The total project costs amount to 370,000 euros.