EnBW purchases seven onshore wind farms

The wind farms will be built in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. Construction has already begun on some of the projects and it is anticipated that they will be commissioned in the middle of 2010. Tried-and-tested plant technology has been used for the 38 wind plants. The forecast average annual power production of the seven onshore wind farms is about 117,000 megawatt hours. Consequently, about 59,000 tonnes of CO2 can besaved in just one year and about 33,000 households can be supplied.

“As part of our growth strategy in the field of renewable energies, we are also systematically expanding the field of onshore wind energy. And we are doing this with huge success: all in all, EnBW has more than quadrupled its onshore capacities in 2009. By purchasing the wind farms, we will be a step closer to our aim of increasing the proportion of renewable energy and wind energy used in power generation to at least 20 percent by 2020,” explains Stefan Thiele, spokesperson of the management board of EnBW Erneuerbare Energien GmbH.

Martin Billhardt, chairman of the board of PNE WIND AG, stressed that this agreement was proof of the continuing trend towards expanding a sustaining power generation: “The sale of these seven wind farms already is our second successful wind farm transaction with EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG. It shows the increasing interest in swift expansion of wind energy and its increased usage in Germany – even and especially by utility companies.”

Consequently, PNE WIND AG had once again proven itself to be a reliable partner in realising wind farms and handling the required proceedings. PNE Wind AG and EnBW Erneuerbare Energien GmbH will continue to work together in the future. PNE Wind AG will carry out operational services for the onshore wind farms over the next 10 years.

With about six million customers and over 20,000 employees, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG achieved an annual turnover of over 16 billion Euros in 2008. As the third largest German utilities company, the EnBW focuses on the business segments of electricity, gas and energy and environmental services.

With an installed output of 15,000 MW, EnBW is one of the most important energy providers in Germany. EnBW’s aim is to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the EnBW energy mix to at least 20 percent by 2020. Consequently, in addition to the expansion of onshore and offshore wind energy and its traditionally high commitment to water hydropower, EnBW is also focusing on other developed technology such as solar energy, biomass and biogas.

PNE WIND AG, domiciled in Cuxhaven, plans and realises onshore and offshore wind farm projects. Consequently, its core competence is in the development, project planning, realisation and financing of wind farms and their operation and sale with subsequent service. To date, the company has built 92 wind farms with 535 wind power plants and a total capacity of 770 MW.

As well as operations in the established German domestic market, PNE WIND AG is increasingly expanding into dynamic growth markets and is already represented by joint ventures in Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Great Britain, Ireland, Romania and Canada. In these countries, wind farms with a capacity of up to 1,400 MW are currently being developed which should be implemented in the medium-term. In addition, a subsidiary has been founded in the USA. In Germany (onshore), wind farm projects with more than 300 MW of capacity are currently in development.

In addition, PNE WIND AG is also developing offshore wind farm projects, of which three major projects in German waters have already been approved. Entry into the promising foreign market offshore sector is also being examined.