Energiedienst Holding AG buys into Geopower Basel AG
EDH builds on further ecologically friendly energy sources
Energiedienst Holding AG Laufenburg (EDH) buys into the Swiss energy company Geopower Basel AG with 3.2 million Swiss francs, thus participating in building the first geothermal power plant in Basel. This commitment awards EDH about six percent of the shares of Geopower Basel AG. Geopower Basel AG was founded in 2004 with the goal of constructing the first geothermal power plant in Basel by 2009. Other Swiss companies and energy suppliers are also participating in the project and they are all pursuing the objective of fostering the recovery of thermal energy from the soil. With this project, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, who also owns the majority of the Energiedienst group, is thus expanding its commitment to promote geothermal electricity generation. Just in November 2005, EnBW pledged a total of two million euros for the construction of a geothermal power plant in Bruchsal.
The Energiedienst group is Germany’s leading provider of renewable energy from hydropower under the brand name NaturEnergie. A good hundred years ago, the company, which was Kraftwerk Laufenburg then, was a pioneer in the usage of hydropower at the Hochrhein. Today, with the construction of the hydropower plant in Rheinfelden, Energiedienst is building the largest regenerative modern projects in Germany. The current commitment to build the geothermal power plant in Basel expresses the continual and sustainable participation in expanding renewable energy in the triangle countries.
The managing director of the EDH, Martin Steiger: “With its commitment to the geothermal project, Energiedienst demonstrates its sense of responsibility towards developing ecologically friendly energy supply”.
To EnBW, the economic recovery of thermal energy for the production of electricity is economically and ecologically feasible. “Geothermal energy is an important element in a sustainable and ecologically friendly oriented energy business“, says Dr. Wolfram Münch, head of research at EnBW.
In Basel the construction of a geothermal heating power plant with additional gas turbines are in the pipeline. The heat released during electricity production will be fed into urban remote heating networks. The energy power plant is expected to start generating electricity and heat in 2009. As early as 1999, a special drilling was executed at a location near the German border. The results thereof have been promising; the project has advanced greatly and the first deep drilling of up to 5,000 meters will be implemented on the premises of the future power plant in spring. A long-term commercial operation is expected to be achieved from the Basel project. This project will also serve as a shining example for further developments in geothermal energy production. Following the commissioning of the power plant, about 6 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 17 megawatts of thermal power shall be available as an ecologically friendly source of energy.
Company Information
Energiedienst
The Energiedienst group supplies South Baden and Switzerlandwith energy and energy-related services on an area of 3, 816 squared meters and to more than 750,000 people.
About 300,000 private and corporate customers, more than 2,500 business customers and 20 distributing community customers make up the customers in these regions. In 2005, the company sold more than 6 billion kilowatt-hours worth of electricity. Energiedienst AG (ED-AG), Energiedienst Netze GmbH (EDN) and NaturEnergie AG all belong to the corporate group Energiedienst Holding AG (EDH). Energiedienst Holding AG is a 75.97 percent subsidiary of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG.
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG has its headquarters in Karlsruhe and with approximately five million customers, the company is the third largest energy supplier in Germany. EnBW has around 8,000 employees and in 2004 the company earned an annual income of 9,844 billion euros. EnBW’s business activities focus on electricity, gas energy and environmental services. As a pioneering company in the energy business, EnBW strongly supports and promotes scientific research and development. EnBW’s philosophy is based on a sense of responsibility towards social, economic and ecological sustainability.
Contact:
For Energiedienst group:
Thomas Zwigart
Head of Personnel and Communication
Phone D: + 49 7763/81-2660
Fax D: + 49 7763/81-2701
Phone CH: + 41 62/869-2660
Fax CH: + 41 62/869-2701
Email: thomas.zwigart@energiedienst.de
For EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG:
Dirk Ommeln
Group Press Officer
Phone D: + 49 721/63-12320
Fax D: + 49 721/63-12672
Email: presse@enbw.com