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GEA has signed an agreement to acquire Hydract, a Denmark-based developer of water-hydraulic process valve technology, strengthening its technology portfolio for the beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical industries.

Hydract specialises in water-hydraulic valve actuators, which use water rather than compressed air to operate process valves. By eliminating the need for energy-intensive air compressors, the technology can significantly reduce the energy required for valve actuation in hygienic and aseptic processing environments.

Following the acquisition, GEA plans to integrate Hydract’s technology into its Valves & Pumps business unit within the company’s Pure Flow Processing division. Hydract’s actuators and valves will complement GEA’s existing portfolio of hygienic and aseptic single-seat, double-seat and control valves, offering customers an additional actuation option alongside traditional pneumatic systems.

Unlike conventional pneumatic systems, water-hydraulic actuators can be regulated to any intermediate position, enabling precise and stable flow control. This capability supports continuous inline blending, faster product changeovers and late-stage product differentiation, features that are increasingly important for breweries and dairies running multiple products on shared processing lines.

The technology is already in use at reference sites such as Carlsberg’s brewery in Fredericia, Denmark, where hydraulic valves are used to improve batch flexibility and optimise resource usage.

Sören de Boon, senior vice president of GEA’s Valves & Pumps business unit, said the acquisition will allow GEA to offer both pneumatic and hydraulic actuation technologies within its modular valve programme, using standardised interfaces for engineering, automation and service.

With the addition of Hydract, GEA will become one of the few process valve manufacturers to offer a consistent water-hydraulic actuation alternative for both single-seat and double-seat valves. The transaction is expected to close by the end of January 2026.

Hydract's CEO, Peter Espersen, said: “Through GEA, breweries, dairies and pharmaceutical customers worldwide will gain access to our actuation technology, turning a specialised solution into a core element of efficiency and modernisation projects“.

GEA plans to incorporate the Hydract portfolio into its broader flow components and system solutions, supporting existing and new applications across beverage, dairy and pharmaceutical processing plants.