AWS and EWE establish joint venture for project management and operation

The Aloys Wobben Stiftung (AWS) and the EWE AG have successfully launched their joint venture for the project management and operation of onshore wind energy projects. Following the approval of the antitrust authorities, the shareholders’ and investment agreement signed in December came into force on Friday (26th March) and the new company Alterric commenced its operations. The AWS (sole shareholder of the Aurich-based wind energy converter manufacturer ENERCON) and the EWE each hold 50 per cent of the shares in Alterric. The aim is to become one of the leading producers of green energy in Germany and France over the next years and to grow in other countries too.

Heiko Janssen, chairman of the board of the Aloys Wobben Stiftung: ‘Today we are launching our joint venture Alterric together, which aims to drive forward the expansion of onshore wind energy in Germany and Europe significantly. This is a great moment for us and the culmination of months of meticulous preparation by our dedicated project team from both companies. We want to offer our heartfelt thanks to all those involved for their remarkable efforts! Your work is a prime example of the cooperative relationship that will shape the internal and external culture of Alterric, and will prove one of our strengths in the competition. The transformation of the energy system is a great opportunity. We want to pool our strengths to grow in the onshore wind sector, and open up further application possibilities for the energy transition on top of this. As a strong and innovative player in the renewables sector, we will make an all-encompassing contribution to climate protection, sustainability and the preservation of creation and impress our customers and partners with professional, long-term and future-proof planning.’

Stefan Dohler, chairman of the board of EWE AG:  ‘At EWE we work every day to find viable solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. As a society we urgently need non-bureaucratic and affordable paths to climate neutrality that can be followed by as many people, companies and institutions as possible. Furthermore, we need to ensure everybody can share in digital advancements, regardless of whether they live in the city or the countryside. To achieve this, it is more important than ever that we think in terms of cooperations and partnerships. We already went down this road in developing our fibre-optic networks, and are now heading in the same direction where the expansion of wind energy as a central element of climate-friendly energy supply in our country and across Europe is concerned. The establishment of a joint venture by two of the original wind energy pioneers AWS and EWE is more than just a good idea or a sensible business decision: it also signals a new dawn and is an invitation to politicians and society for active support of onshore wind energy expansion by a broad consensus.’

The shareholders have brought the existing wind farms and onshore projects belonging to ENERCON and EWE into their 200-employee strong joint venture. This means Alterric has more than 2,300 megawatts of installed power in its portfolio in total, and a project pipeline of more than 9,400 megawatts. The company is thus market leader for onshore wind in Germany. The aim is to add more than 200 megawatts every year and expand the portfolio to up to five gigawatts in 2030. Investments totalling around four billion euros are planned by 2030.

As well as adding to its own portfolio of wind energy converters in the core markets, Alterric will also develop customer projects. Alterric will operate independently and is not integrated in the organisational structures of the parent companies. A unique brand has been developed for the company accordingly, with an image that differs intentionally from that of AWS/ENERCON and EWE. Alterric will pursue an approach that does not tie it to manufacturers in realising its projects. The company will be managed by EWE, while the Aloys Wobben Stiftung will chair the supervisory board. The interim management will be led by Jan-Knut Brune and Dr Urban Keussen.