Wind Power
New partners for HelveticWind
Bern (ots)
The Elektra Baselland Cooperative (EBL), EKZ Renewables AG - a subsidiary of the electrical utilities of the canton of Zurich (EKZ) - and SN Erneuerbare Energie AG (SNEE) have become partners in the HelveticWind joint venture. The partnership was founded in March 2010 by Energie Wasser Bern and BKW Inc. with the aim of building up a wind power portfolio with a capacity of 170 Megawatts (MW) over the next few years. The joint venture already owns two wind farms with an installed capacity of 37 MW.
The share ratio of the joint venture, in which the initial owners held an equal stake, has been adjusted with the addition of new partners. With immediate effect, the founding partners Energie Wasser Bern and BKW will each hold a 29% share in the company, EKZ slightly more than 20%, and EBL and SNEE just short of 11% each. The partners aim to drive forward the use of wind power and realise projects with a collective capacity of 170 MW over the next few years. The activities will initially focus on Germany and Italy.
The cooperation is of major importance for all partners. It consolidates BKW's position in the wind power area, while Energie Wasser Bern, EBL, EKZ and SNEE can scale up their activities in the renewable energies area and further expand the relevant production capacities.
The partners already own two wind farms - in Sendenhorst (North Rhine-Westphalia) and in Lüdersdorf-Parstein (Brandenburg) - with a collective capacity of 37 MW. The plants together produce 83 Gigawatt hours of electricity during around 2,000 full-load hours: equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of around 22,000 households.
The new partnerships in HelveticWind require the approval of the responsible anti-trust authority. The parties have agreed not to disclose the cost of their shareholdings.
Contact:
Energie Wasser Bern
Claudia Kohlschütter, Head of Corporate Communications, 031 321 36 88
BKW AG
Antonio Sommavilla, Head of Media Communications, 031 330 51 07
EBL
Tobias Andrist, Head of Business Development, 061 926 11 11
EKZ
Irene Gamper, Head of Corporate Communications, 058 359 52 95
SNEE
Adrian Inauen, Managing Director, 071 228 40 70