About Us

SvoBaTech also offers hardware upgrades, including state-of-the-art monitoring systems and tailored alkalization systems.

Since the first application in the early 1980s, our team was in charge of developing the Cuproplex chemical cleaning process at Alstom. In order to combine our industry-leading experience with the flexibility and innovative abilities of an independent service company, SvoBaTech was founded in 2014.

Over more than 40 years our team members have been involved in over 150 chemical cleanings on all seven continents on generator stators of 17 different OEM. Those include GE, Siemens (Westinghouse, Parsons), Alstom (BBC/ABB, GEC, Alsthom), Dongfang, Allis-Chalmers, and Elektrosila. Services were performed at major utilities such as FPL, AEP, AECI, Exelon, SCE, PG&E, Xcel Energy, Vistra, Duke Energy, OPG, TVA, ESKOM, Transalta, EdF, Entergy, Constellation, Energy Australia, Ørsted and EoN.

With this experience we have developed a new and improved process.

We have a strong chemical background and over 100 years of combined experience with generator cooling water systems. In addition to more than 150 chemical cleanings, we were involved in supervision, consulting and root-cause analysis with the Cuproplex process during our long-term employment at Alstom.

Matthias Svoboda

Mat (MSc. ETH Zurich, Switzerland) started working in the power plant chemistry laboratory at Alstom (Switzerland) in 2003. He developed methods for trace analysis in remotely taken feedwater and steam samples and was responsible for chemical cleanings of generator stator coils, consulting and engineering.

His key competences include R&D, customer consultancy and new plant design as well as on-site trouble shooting and chemical cleaning of generators.

Thomas Bauer, PhD

Tom (Dr. sc. ETH Zurich) worked in the chemical laboratory for Siemens Transformers in Austria during his master studies. After a scientific exchange in Syracuse, NY, he successfully finished his PhD at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Afterwards, he joined Alstom (Switzerland), working in the field of water-cooled generators, specifically in consulting and performing chemical cleanings on stator cooling water systems as part of the Cuproplex team. Additionally he was a project manager for R&D projects in the field of water cooled generators.

Robert Svoboda, PhD

Robert Svoboda is presently an independent consulting engineer in Power Plant Chemistry.

After his studies (Ph.D., Physics in Vienna, Austria) he joined the chemical laboratory at Alstom in 1969 (formerly part of Brown Boveri & Cie in Baden, Switzerland), where he was heading the Power Plant Chemistry Section, and in 1992 the Power Plant Chemistry Department in Mannheim, Germany. He stayed active as a consultant since his retirement in 2007 after 38 years. His work concentrates on water chemistry, corrosion and radiation technology.

At his work with Alstom, he developed chemical generator cleaning into the standardized Cuproplex process and pioneered the first on-line cleaning in 1996.

Robert Svoboda is an Honorary Fellow of the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS).

Saverio Romanelli

Saverio Romanelli completed his studies at the Chemical Technical College in Italy (BSc, 1966). In 1974 he joined the chemical laboratory at Alstom (formerly part of Brown Boveri & Cie, Switzerland), where he worked in the Power Plant Chemistry Section as a chemical engineer. Since 1983 he was involved in the development of the Cuproplex process.
After his retirement in 2009 after 35 years he remained active as a consultant. His work has concentrated on investigations and R&D on water chemistry, corrosion and radiation technology, both in the laboratory and numerous power plants.

CUPROPLEX is a trademark of General Electric Technology GmbH