We are one of the largest energy companies in Germany and Europe and have always had a broad business portfolio. We have realigned our course with the EnBW 2020 and 2025 strategies. As part of our Strategy 2025, we are pursuing the goal of developing EnBW into a sustainable and innovative infrastructure partner.
Geographically, we are also expanding our radius: In recent years, we have acquired valuable expertise in the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, repair and direct marketing of wind turbines. On this basis, we intend to develop new markets with selected international partners.
Three strategic business segments
We bundle our business portfolio into three strategic business areas:
Smart infrastructure for customers
In the "Smart infrastructure for the customer" strategic business area, we develop new business models, including digital ones, and bring them to market – also beyond the traditional energy industry value chain.
In addition to the sale of electricity and gas, the main focus is on the expansion of the fast-charging infrastructure for electromobility, activities in the field of telecommunications and broadband and other fields such as urban infrastructure. Digitisation will increasingly merge the previously separate areas such as energy, traffic or housing. Our approach is therefore to offer holistic solutions for these areas.
System-critical Infrastructure
In the strategic business segment "System-Critical Infrastructure", our grid subsidiaries in the electricity and gas business will continue to expand their transmission grids to become a key earnings mainstay alongside their distribution grids.
We will also expand the electricity distribution grids to meet the requirements of the future and optimally prepare them for the demands of electromobility and for feed-in by decentralised energy producers. We intend to significantly develop and expand our business in grid-related services - the operation of grids for third parties, metering and invoicing services or charging networks for electromobility - particularly in partnership with municipalities and municipal utility companies.
Sustainable generation infrastructure
Renewable energies - led by offshore and onshore wind - will dominate the strategic business segment "Sustainable Generation Infrastructure". This also includes further selective internationalisation and the development of a portfolio of large-scale photovoltaic projects.
In this way, low-CO2 generation will be further expanded in a targeted manner. We are also promoting our strong position in the gas business, especially in the field of green and synthetic gases. By contrast, we will gradually withdraw from coal-based conventional generation in a way that does not adversely affect the value of the business. EnBW's last nuclear power plant will be decommissioned by 2022 at the latest.
The present and future – our topics
So what are the specific issues behind the terms from the strategic business segments? And are they already being worked on?
Around 25,000 employees are already helping to meet the expectations of our customers and partners - local authorities, companies and citizens - for a modern, decentralised and digital energy world. We aim to conduct all our business activities responsibly and to create economic, ecological and social added value for society as a whole. We want to make EnBW climate-neutral by 2035.
We are close to our customers and, as a full-range supplier of energy and energy-related services, we consistently focus on their needs.
As diverse as our customers
We supply around 5.5 million customers with energy - in Baden-Württemberg and throughout Germany. This includes the sale of electricity and gas, but also district heating and drinking water. Additional to this are
Our Commitment
We earn the trust of our customers because we are their first point of contact for energy issues. We meet this demand on the basis of our experience and innovative strength, but also by listening and engaging in dialogue. We are constantly developing new products and services, for example in the field of electromobility or district infrastructure.
Renewable energies
Sun, wind and water - these are the most important resources that will pave our way into the future.
Energy sources of the future
In the field of renewable energies, we use the energy sources of water, wind and sun, but also biomass and geothermal energy. Today, we are already able to supply 35.5 % of the electricity consumed by households in Baden-Württemberg with electricity generated from renewable energy sources. This corresponds to around 2,000,000 households.
Where we draw our energy from today.
Our Commitment
In the near future, we will significantly expand the generation of energy from the wind and sun in particular. Our activities include project development, construction, operation and later repowering (upgrading) of the plants. With the help of suitable models, we offer potential investors, including local authorities and citizens, the opportunity to participate in renewable energy projects on a partnership basis.
Infrastructure
Based on our core competence, we want to shape the future beyond the energy sector.
A new business segment
Our Strategy 2025 sets the course: EnBW is transforming itself from a classic energy company into a sustainable and innovative infrastructure partner. In order to achieve this, we are combining our traditional strengths with future-oriented topics: We are transferring our core competencies - the safe and reliable operation of critical infrastructure in the energy sector - to new business areas such as broadband expansion, electromobility or sustainable urban district development.
Our Commitment
We have taken the first decisive steps towards becoming an infrastructure partner. The networking of our products in the development of new urban districts enables a high degree of energy self-sufficiency and creates the basis for tomorrow's mobility: A well thought-out infrastructure ensures sustainability and efficiency in the supply of heating and cooling. Electricity is generated, stored and marketed locally in an ecologically sound manner. In addition to LED lighting tailored to requirements, smart street lamps offer public WLAN, emergency systems and traffic and environmental data for district management. Private and public charging stations let the automotive future begin today. Smart systems also ensure public safety.
Grids
We will continue to expand our networks - from new transmission grids to the last mile. We are taking responsibility for the supply reliability as part of the energy transition.
Grids as the backbone of energy transition
Our grids transport and distribute electricity, gas and heat from the source to the customer. We also supply water and provide network-related services such as the operation of grids for third parties. Thanks to our regional presence, we maintain close relations with local authorities and their residents. In 2019, the length of our electricity grid was around 144,000 km. That equals four times around the world. The length of our gas grid was around 25,000 km. To ensure that everything runs smoothly everywhere, our 9,254 employees are on duty for our customers 365 days a year.
Our Commitment
The energy transition has ushered in a new era for our grids. For example, the energy generated in the windy north has to be transported from wind turbines to the economically strong southern German regions where the energy is needed. Our subsidiary TransnetBW is currently planning, together with partners, two high-performance north-south links based on high-voltage direct current transmission technology (HVDC) in order to ensure long-term supply reliability.
In addition to high-performance transmission grids, we also need distribution grids, as these collect the energy that is produced in many small private units. They also guarantee a secure and reliable supply to our customers. To ensure that they can ensure supply reliability in the long term, we are gradually developing our grids into smart grids. In a number of grid laboratories, for example, we are researching how the feeding of large quantities of electricity, for example from private solar plants, can be regulated. In 2019, 167,000 EEG plants with a capacity of 4,550 MW were already integrated into our subsidiary Netze BW grid. In other projects, we are also researching the effects of electromobility on grid planning and operation.
Generation & Trade
With our energy industry expertise and market knowledge, we are developing new products and strategies - and expanding our position as a key player in European energy trading.
Reliability for today and tomorrow
Generation & trade includes the generation of electricity from conventional power plants, the storage of gas as well as the trading of electricity and gas. It also includes district heating and the provision of system services for transmission system operators. The operation of back-up power plants and the decommissioning of power plants also fall within this area.
Although the expansion of renewable energies is our top priority, the coal and nuclear power plants on the market, together with the power plants transferred to the grid reserve, continue to make a significant contribution to supply reliability in Germany.
Our Commitment
Energy trading ensures central access to the wholesale markets for electricity, gas and fuels. As equal partners, we support our customers with our services and know-how in integrating their plants into the market - for example in the area of direct marketing. In view of the energy revolution, we are pushing ahead with the expansion of pumped storage plants. These can store the energy generated from the wind and sun, which is dependent on the weather and the time of day, in hydroelectric power and feed it back into the grid as required. This is a valuable contribution when it comes to successfully integrating renewable energies into our complex electricity supply grid.
We are safely dismantling our nuclear power plants. In Obrigheim, we started this back in 2005 and have gained extensive experience. In recent years, we have also been gradually dismantling the two nuclear power plants in Philippsburg and Neckarwestheim. Our last nuclear power plant currently in operation is GKN II in Neckarwestheim. It will be shut down by the end of 2022 at the latest. We are optimising our power plants, which are based on fossil fuels such as coal or gas, from a CO2 perspective. We will gradually phase out our coal-fired power plants by 2035. In recent years, we've already decommissioned 2,600 MW of capacity at our coal-fired power plants or transferred them to reserve power. For some of our plants, we are looking into switching to more climate-friendly gases (fuel switch). This will enable us to immediately reduce C02 emissions.
As a bridge to the "renewable future," we are essentially relying on natural gas. For instance, in the construction of the new gas-fired power plant in Stuttgart-Gaisburg, we achieved significant CO2 savings.
Interested in the energy transition?
Then you are at the right place at EnBW. Together we are expediting the energy transition - with fun and innovation in a collegial and productive atmosphere. You can contribute your ideas and skills and work as part of a team.
We are making the energy transition international
Our goal is clear: The renewable energy sector is to become a mainstay of EnBW. To achieve this, we will work from our home market by means of selective internationalisation with selected partners around the globe to open up new growth opportunities. In doing so, we will contribute our expertise in wind power, which is in demand worldwide.
Denmark: Balle
CWS has an experienced team with high expertise. Together with EnBW's energy industry expertise and capital strength, we are creating joint growth by offering services on the European markets. EnBW and CWS complement each other perfectly.
The roots of Connected WindServices A/S go back to 1987. The company, which is headquartered in Balle/Denmark and has national subsidiaries in Germany (Rantrum) and Sweden (Falkenberg), has more than 30 years of experience as a manufacturer and independent service provider in the field of maintenance and repair. More than 50 service teams in Denmark, Sweden and Germany look after over 1,700 wind turbines. CWS also carries out complex service projects on wind turbines throughout Europe. CWS operates a modern workshop at its headquarters in Balle for the reconditioning of components for wind turbines, including gearboxes of the megawatt class.
Sweden: Falkenberg
Completing our first major acquisition in Sweden confirms our selective internationalisation of our business and demonstrates the role we give to Sweden as a growth market.
Sweden is one of the top European markets for the expansion of onshore wind energy. In July 2018, we established the Swedish national company EnBW Sverige. In southern Sweden, the Råmmarehemmet wind farm with three turbines and a total output of 12.6 megawatts is nearing completion.
In January 2019, we acquired seven Swedish wind farms with a total of 51 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 105 megawatts - an important step towards growth in Sweden and positioning ourselves as a reliable partner for the further expansion of renewable energies.
France: Montpellier
With Valeco, we have one of the most experienced players on the French renewable energy market on our side.
Starting in June 2019, around 135 Valeco employees became part of our EnBW family. Valeco is one of the top 10 French operators in the onshore and solar energy sectors. Valeco has an installed capacity of 403 megawatts of onshore wind and 105 megawatts of solar, as well as a project pipeline of 2,300 megawatts.
The medium-term goal is to develop Valeco into one of the top 5 players in the French wind and solar market.
Switzerland: Laufenburg
For many years, we have gone to great lengths to consistently reduce CO2 emissions and conserve resources. Now we have taken the next logical step with climate neutrality.
The Energiedienst Group is a German-Swiss public limited company with a regional and ecological focus. The energy company generates green electricity from hydropower and sells electricity and gas. Its own grid companies supply customers with electricity. New business segments promote the decentralised renewable and digital energy world of the future. The Group offers its customers intelligently networked products and services for the energy transition, including photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, electricity storage systems and electromobility as well as e-car sharing. The Energiedienst Group supplies over 270,000 customers with electricity. It employs around 1,000 employees including 50 apprentices.
Czech Republic: Prague
PRE continues to live up to the promise being the “Energy of the City” – a reliable, sustainable and trustworthy provider of electricity, gas, related infrastructure and energy services in the Czech Republic with a focus on Prague.
The core business activities of Pražská energetika (PRE), based in Prague, Czech Republic, with almost 1,600 employees, include electricity and gas sales, electricity distribution in Prague, electricity generation from renewable energy sources and the provision of energy services. PRE is the third largest electricity supplier in the Czech Republic and operates a reliable distribution network.
Turkey: Istanbul
Ten years ago, we decided to expand into the dynamically growing market of renewable energies in Turkey and support its growth. With Borusan we have found a strong and reliable Turkish partner for entering this new market. Borusan EnBW Enerji and its employees can be proud of what has been achieved over the past few years.
In 2009, the German-Turkish joint venture Borusan, based in Turkey, was founded to build and operate plants for the generation of renewable energy. Together with our Turkish partner Borusan, we have built up around 500 MW of generation capacity in the wind onshore sector.
In May 2009, EnBW acquired a 50 percent stake in its subsidiary Borusan Enerji, based in Istanbul. The completion of the transaction marked the entry into a project pipeline of projects with different levels of maturity, two of which were already under construction.
USA: Jersey City, Boston and Morro Bay
In this promising future market, EnBW will have a direct local presence in the future to further develop the EnBW offshore project portfolio in North America.
North America has set ambitious goals for the expansion of offshore wind power. Our regional company EnBW North America plans to support the states in achieving their goals. For this reason, it has opened an office on the US East Coast in Jersey City (New Jersey) and one in Boston (Massachusetts).
Since 2018, on the west coast of the USA, in Morro Bay (California), we have been developing the world's first floating offshore wind farm based on floating technology in a joint venture with Tridents Winds Inc. In the future, floating foundations will play a key role in the development of new offshore areas with greater water depths and even better wind conditions. We are already involved in initiatives to further develop this technology.
Taiwan: Taipeh
Taiwan is a strategically important market for us. That is why we are very pleased that we are now pushing offshore wind projects from our own office in Taipei.
Taiwan plans to phase out nuclear energy by 2025. The expansion of renewable energies - especially in the area of offshore wind power will be used to compensate for this phase-out. We have been on site with EnBW Asia Pacific since the beginning of 2018 and, together with local partners, are participating in the tender for three offshore wind power projects in the Changhua region with a total capacity of up to 2,000 megawatts.
The EnBW family includes regional energy companies, grid companies and providers of products and services in the fields of renewable energies, telecommunications or smart electricity storage.