Vattenfall (Germany)

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Vattenfall GmbH

logo
legal form GmbH
founding 2002
Seat Berlin , GermanyGermanyGermany 
management Tuomo Hatakka
Branch Energy supplier
Website https://corporate.vattenfall.de/

The Vattenfall GmbH (formerly Vattenfall Europe ) based in Berlin is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall AB .

history

The Swedish company has been operating internationally since 1996. After deregulation in the field of electrical power supply in Germany, 25.1 percent of the shares in Hamburgische Elektrizitäts-Werken (HEW) were acquired in 1999 . In 2001, Vattenfall became the majority owner of HEW. The current Vattenfall GmbH emerged in 2002 from the merger of HEW and Vereinigte Energiewerke AG as well as the mining company Lausitzer Braunkohle AG , to which Berlin-based Bewag was added at the beginning of 2003 . The merger resulted in Vattenfall (after E.ON , RWE and EnBW ), currently the fourth largest German electricity company (as of 2012). The HEW and Bewag brands were initially retained after the merger. Since January 2006, Vattenfall has been operating throughout Germany under the uniform Vattenfall brand . In 2006, the general meeting resolved to exclude minority shareholders by means of a squeeze-out . The transfer of the shares of minority shareholders of the company then trading under the name of Vattenfall Europe to the Swedish parent company was terminated with the entry in the Berlin Commercial Register on April 21, 2008 and the group's listing was thus discontinued.

For reasons of competition policy, Vattenfall sold its own transmission system operator , 50Hertz Transmission, to the Belgian network operator Elia and the Australian infrastructure fund Industry Funds Management (IFM) in March 2010 .

On September 17, 2012, the German holding company Vattenfall Europe AG was renamed Vattenfall GmbH.

Vattenfall and efforts to remunicipalise the energy networks

Vattenfall operates the electricity and district heating networks in Berlin and Hamburg with its regional subsidiaries. In Berlin, Vattenfall also has a 30 percent stake in Gasag .

In December 2010, Vattenfall announced the sale of its 24.9 percent stake in the Städtische Werken Kassel to the regional energy supplier Thüga .

In May 2009, the Hamburg government coalition sought to remunicipalise the energy networks (electricity, gas, district heating) by buying back Vattenfall when the current concession contracts expired in 2014 . In November 2012, the incumbent SPD Senate acquired from Vattenfall a 25.1 percent stake in the electricity network and district heating business (as well as the gas network operated by E.ON ); The Senate hoped that this would have a significant influence on Vattenfall's corporate policy. Nevertheless, the “Our Hamburg - Our Network” initiative continued to call for the establishment of a municipal utility with its own energy networks. A referendum was held parallel to the federal election in September 2013; there was a narrow majority in favor of the networks being taken over by an urban company.

In Berlin, the Berliner Energietisch initiative endeavored to remunicipalise the power grid and to set up a municipal utility that should follow ecological and social criteria. In July 2012, an application to initiate a referendum was made with 30,660 valid signatures. After the referendum had collected sufficient signatures in June, a referendum was held on November 3, 2013 on the remunicipalisation of Berlin's energy supply , which the Berlin Senate rejected in its statement. The bill failed because the quorum of 25 percent of all voters was missed with 24.1 percent.

Lawsuit against the nuclear phase-out

2016 sued the company before the ICSID , the Federal Republic of Germany on € 5 billion compensation for the shutdown of nuclear power plants after the Fukushima nuclear disaster . In 2018, the required amount was € 4.4 billion. The proceedings stalled when the federal government moved to dismiss the arbitral tribunal in November 2018 .

Company data

Vattenfall has a total of 6,837 employees in Germany. With sales of 6.19 billion euros (63.6 billion SEK ), Vattenfall achieved earnings before interest and taxes ( EBIT ) of 690 million euros (7.09 billion SEK) in Germany. In Germany, Vattenfall operates energy generation plants (installed capacity) in the areas of hydropower (2,879 MW), hard coal (2,866 MW), gas (1,285 MW), wind (588 MW), biomass and waste (45 MW) and others (632 MW). Vattenfall supplies around 3 million customers with electricity and around 540,000 customers with gas in Germany. Vattenfall GmbH owns shares in various electricity network operators and operates an electricity distribution network in Germany with a length of 34,710 km

At the end of the 2017 financial year, the management of Vattenfall GmbH consisted of the following members: Tuomo J. Hatakka (Chairman), Gabriele Ehrlich (Labor Director) and Axel Pinkert (Finance).

The subsidiary Vattenfall Wasserkraft GmbH recorded a loss of 55 million euros in 2016 and 2017. The main reason was the classification of the pumped storage plants as final consumers. This means that the full EEG surcharge and the corresponding taxes must be paid for the electricity purchased. The competition from the sale of the electricity generated by means of photovoltaics, especially in the midday peaks, also reduces the profitability of the pumped storage plants.

Current composition

Vattenfall operates both as an electricity producer and as an electricity supplier. Vattenfall sells the electricity it produces itself through its own trading house in Hamburg (Vattenfall Energy Trading GmbH as a wholly owned subsidiary of Vattenfall GmbH). Since the sales business is operated independently of the generation business, Vattenfall has to buy additional amounts of electricity on the electricity exchange in order to meet its delivery obligations. The resulting electricity sales volumes and electricity generation volumes for 2017 for Vattenfall in Germany are as follows:

Electricity procurement and sales
Electricity procurement TWh Electricity distribution TWh
Power generation 22.0 Selling electricity to distribution customers 8.1
Electricity purchase 21.5 Selling electricity on the wholesale market 20.5
Other electricity supplies 14.9
Total electricity procurement 43.5 Total electricity sales 43.5

Vattenfall's activities in France are already included in electricity sales. In total, Vattenfall sold 14 TWh in the heating sector and 12.4 TWh in the gas sector in Germany.

The electricity mix of the company's own generation facilities for the years 2010 to 2017 is as follows:

  2010 2011 2014 2015 2016 ** 2017
Total generation 69.0 TWh 66.3 TWh 70.4 TWh 74.5 TWh 20.6 TWh 22.0 TWh
Nuclear energy 0.0% 0.0% * 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
fossil energy sources 94.49% 95.48% 93.6% 92.88% 78.15% 75.45%
Other power plants 5.51% 4.52% 6.4% 7.11% 21.85% 24.55%
- of it wind 1.5 TWh 2.5 TWh
- of which hydropower 2.5 TWh 2.8 TWh
- of which biomass 0.5 TWh 0.2 TWh

* The Krümmel and Brunsbüttel nuclear power plants were shut down due to the Federal Government's decision to phase out nuclear energy in Germany.

** The reduction results from the sale of the Lausitz lignite power plants to the Czech EPH / LEAG

The table only shows the amount of electricity generated, not the energy mix delivered to the end customer.

Coal-fired power generation

As the operator of open-cast lignite mines and coal-fired power plants, which supplied a relatively large part of the company's electricity mix, Vattenfall was always at the center of social discussion. There were conflicts with residents of resettled villages (e.g. Horno ). A protracted dispute concerned the ecologically valuable Lakoma pond landscape ( FFH area ) and the village of Lakoma , which finally had to give way to the Cottbus-Nord opencast mine operated by Vattenfall .

A popular initiative was successfully carried out by mid-2008 against the three newly planned open-cast mines Jänschwalde-Nord, Spremberg-Ost and Bagenz Ost . From October 2007 to May 2008 in Brandenburg, an alliance of several environmental associations collected signatures against Vattenfall's plans. After the initiative was rejected by the Brandenburg state parliament, a referendum took place from October 10, 2008 to February 9, 2009 . However, this failed. Of the 80,000 required signatures, only 25,168 valid votes were cast at the registration offices.

The generation of electricity from coal has also come under fire because of its greenhouse effects. The carbon dioxide emissions of the then German power plant park of Vattenfall amounted to 85 million tons in 2012 and were only slightly lower than in 2010 with 94 million tons. In May 2016, the Welzow-Süd opencast mine operated by Vattenfall and the Schwarze Pumpe lignite power station were the target of the climate-activist campaign “End of Terrain” .

On April 18, 2016, it was announced that Vattenfall was selling its entire lignite division in Lusatia to the Czech company Energetický a Průmyslový Holding (EPH). On September 30, 2016, EPH and its financial partner PPF took over the entire lignite division (power plants and opencast mines) from Vattenfall. From the Vattenfall Europe Mining AG has been Lausitz energy Bergbau AG and out of Vattenfall Europe Generation AG was the Lausitz energy Kraftwerke AG . Both companies carry the LEAG brand .

Nuclear power plants

Vattenfall operates two nuclear power plants in Germany: the Krümmel nuclear power plant and the Brunsbüttel nuclear power plant . The company came under fire at times for an accumulation of reportable events in both plants.

Krümmel nuclear power plant

In particular after the transformer fire on the site of the Krümmel nuclear power plant on June 28, 2007, Vattenfall has been criticized for not publishing safety-related information about the operation of its two nuclear power plants at all, or only publishing it late. Politicians and nature conservation associations are calling for the license to operate nuclear power plants to be withdrawn. Vattenfall was also criticized for the accumulation of leukemia in the area.

Brunsbüttel nuclear power plant

At the Brunsbüttel nuclear power plant, too, after a fault on the same day when restarting, notifiable events occurred that were again reported too late to the responsible ministry. After these incidents, the Ministry of Social Affairs responsible for reactor safety in Schleswig-Holstein checked Vattenfall's reliability as an operator of nuclear power plants. It had itself been criticized for its information policy. In the course of these events, the head of the German nuclear division, Bruno Thomauske , was relieved of his office, and the corporate spokesman Johannes Altmeppen resigned. For the time being, Kraftwerk CEO Reinhardt Hassa will take over the management of Vattenfall Europe Nuclear Energy (Vene.) Later, on July 18, 2007, the CEO of Vattenfall Europe, Klaus Rauscher , resigned. The company lost nearly 200,000 customers in 2007, largely to these incidents.

Lobbying

In the coalition agreement of the government of CDU and SPD in the Cabinet Merkel III is 2013 to 2017: "The conventional power plants (lignite, hard coal, gas) as part of the national energy mix are for the foreseeable future is essential." The set was designed by Ulrich Freese , trade unionists ( IG BCE ) and member of the German Bundestag for the SPD, introduced into the coalition agreement. Freese was a member of the supervisory board of Vattenfall Germany and is referred to in media reports as a lobbyist for the coal industry.

Locations and plants in Germany

Locations

HafenCity heating plant ( VE Wärme Hamburg )
  • Hamburg (Vattenfall Europe Business Services, Vattenfall Europe Customer Service, Vattenfall Europe Information Services (IT service provider), Vattenfall Europe Sales, Vattenfall Europe Nuclear Energy)
  • Berlin (Vattenfall Germany headquarters, Vattenfall Europe Sales (private customers Berlin and Hamburg), Vattenfall Europe Wärme (district heating Berlin and Hamburg), Vattenfall Europe Netcom (telecommunications), Vattenfall Europe Information Services (IT service provider), Stromnetz Berlin GmbH (distribution network operator), Vattenfall Europe Netzservice Berlin, TVF Altwert ( area recycling ))

Power plants

Active plants

Plants in planning or construction

Decommissioned plants

See also

Web links

Commons : Vattenfall  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
 Wikinews: Vattenfall  - in the news

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Company history - Vattenfall Corporate - Vattenfall. Retrieved March 26, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Vattenfall electricity network goes to Belgian Elia. Reuters, accessed March 26, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Multi-million deal: Vattenfall sells power grid to Belgian Elia - SPIEGEL ONLINE. In: spiegel.de. Retrieved March 26, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Energy supply: Vattenfall sells German high-voltage network - Economic Policy - FAZ. In: faz.net. Retrieved March 26, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Vattenfall: Vattenfall completes sale of transmission system operator 50Hertz Transmission , June 21, 2010.
  6. ↑ Article in Handelsblatt online from December 20, 2010 Vattenfall sells stake in Stadtwerke Kassel ( Memento from December 31, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (see remunicipalisation )
  7. ↑ Hamburg founds eco-public utilities. The daily newspaper (May 18, 2009)
  8. ↑ Hamburg energy network is remunicipalisedVolksentscheid: Costly buyback hrsg = Deutschlandfunk. September 23, 2013, accessed November 3, 2013 .
  9. ↑ Ulrich Zawatka-Gerlach: Senate rejects referendum on energy. Tagesspiegel from August 15, 2012
  10. ↑ Official information on the referendum on the remunicipalisation of Berlin's energy supply. (PDF) The Head of State Voting Berlin, p. 30 , accessed on October 24, 2013 .
  11. ↑ Case Details Vattenfall AB and others v. Federal Republic of Germany ( Memento from December 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ The British have a terrible love for nuclear power. In: sueddeutsche.de. September 15, 2016, accessed March 11, 2018 .
  13. ↑ Michael Bauchmüller: The nuclear phase-out brings another billion- dollar risk . In: sueddeutsche.de . February 19, 2018, accessed October 13, 2018 .
  14. ↑ http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/deutschland-bremst-millionenklage-von-vattenfall-aus-15892895.html
  15. ↑ a b Annual and Sustainability Report 2017 (PDF; 5.76 MB) Accessed January 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ Freie Presse June 5, 2019, p. 6 "Why Markersbach doesn't really pay off"
  17. ↑ a b Annual Report 2011 , accessed January 20, 2018
  18. ↑ http://corporate.vattenfall.de/globalassets/deutschland/finanzberichte/jahresbericht/vf-2014_de_150612_final.PDF page 34
  19. ↑ Annual Report 2015. Accessed January 20, 2019 .
  20. ↑ Annual Report 2016. Accessed January 20, 2019 .
  21. ↑ See Bi-lacoma ( Memento of the original from February 19, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bi-lacoma.de
  22. ↑ Popular initiative against opencast mines fizzled out. In: Lausitzer Rundschau. February 9, 2009.
  23. ↑ Vattenfall Germany Annual Report 2012, p. 3.
  24. ↑ n-tv news television: Now it's "the end of the terrain": opponents of lignite are occupying the Welzow open-cast mine. In: n-tv.de. Retrieved May 13, 2016 .
  25. ↑ Vattenfall sells lignite business to Czech EPH In: SPIEGEL ONLINE April 18, 2016.
  26. ↑ Change of ownership from Vattenfall to EPH in the Lausitzer Revier completed In: Lausitzer Rundschau September 30, 2016.
  27. ↑ New accident details: The nuclear power station in Krümmel was full of smoke gas. on: Spiegel Online. July 6, 2007.
  28. ↑ Opponents of nuclear power let 13,000 balloons fly. In: Hamburger Morgenpost , June 26, 2010 ( online )
  29. ↑ Three years of stagnation: Will Krümmel go back online? In: Lübecker Nachrichten , June 27, 2010
  30. ↑ robinwood.de 19 December 1996 ( Memento of 19 September 2010 at the Internet Archive )
  31. ↑ Nuclear power - service life extension despite safety deficits. ARD magazine Kontraste , June 15, 2010, accessed on September 22, 2010 .
  32. ↑ International Joint Commission on Nuclear Technology (PDF) Confidential: ILK report from November 2002 at Frontal21
  33. ↑ Brunsbüttel nuclear power plant: Breakdowns in the nuclear power plant again reported too late. on: Spiegel Online. July 8, 2007.
  34. ↑ spiegel.de 2007: Nuclear reactor breakdowns: Minister threatens Vattenfall with license withdrawal. on: Spiegel Online. July 9, 2007.
  35. ↑ Breakdown series: Vattenfall fires German nuclear boss. on: Spiegel Online. July 16, 2007.
  36. ↑ Vattenfall replaces Atom boss. ( Memento from December 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on: netzeitung.de , July 16, 2007.
  37. ↑ [1] (tagesschau.de archive) Vattenfall loses almost 200,000 German customers (accessed on October 31, 2007)
  38. ^ Die Welt, lignite lobby wrote the coalition agreement on December 13, 2013
  39. ↑ Lausitzer Rundschau, Greenpeace triggers wave of scandal , April 13, 2013
  40. ^ Vattenfall Trading. In: energysales.vattenfall.de. September 28, 2018, accessed December 31, 2018 .