Michael Class responsible for portfolio development at EnBW since 1 September 2021
Karlsruhe. Since 1 September, the Generation Portfolio Development business field at EnBW has been managed by Michael Class. The experienced top manager is thus now responsible for the development, construction and operation of the company’s new construction projects in the Generation business field – including major projects in the offshore and photovoltaic sectors, the construction of new gas-powered power plants, and the further expansion of onshore plants and the international renewable energy business. The 53-year-old is following in the footsteps of Dirk Güsewell, who took up a position on the EnBW Board of Management on 1 June 2021, where he will be responsible for the company’s grid-bound business in the System Critical Infrastructure department.
“At EnBW, we want to further increase the share of renewable energies in the German power mix. At the same time, we have to make sure that the required power is available during periods when the wind and sun alone are insufficient. We are delighted to have been able to appoint an experienced expert in Michael Class for this important task,” explained Georg Stamatelopoulos, Board Member for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure at EnBW.
As the former Chairman of the Board of Management the MVV subsidiary juwi, Class is highly familiar with the business field. “It is a personal concern of mine to work with my team to continue the expansion of onshore wind power in particular, which appears to have stalled. I am really looking forward to this new challenge at EnBW, which is fully committed to the energy transition,” said Class. He left juwi in May 2021 after five years in the role. Prior to that, he had been managing director of MVV Umwelt GmbH since 2008. He possesses more than 20 years’ experience in the energy and environmental sector, including in the areas of generation and the construction of new power plants. Class is a trained farmer and agricultural engineer.
About EnBW
EnBW is one of the largest utility companies in Germany and Europe, with a workforce of 24,000 employees. It supplies electricity, gas, water together with infrastructure and energy-related products and services to around 5.5 million customers. Expansion of renewables is a cornerstone of EnBW’s growth strategy and therefore a major focus of capital expenditure. Since the beginning of its corporate transformation, EnBW has invested some €4.7 billion in its Renewable Energies segment. About a further €4 billion is to be invested in the further expansion of wind and solar energy and also in fuel switch activities by 2025. Installed renewable energy capacity accounted for around 40% of EnBW’s generation portfolio by the end of 2020 and is targeted to reach 50% by the end of 2025. This is already having a noticeable impact in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, which EnBW plans to halve by 2030. EnBW aims to attain climate neutrality by 2035.