The EnBW 2020 strategy also had an impact internally: The Group is now an organisation that has quick decision-making paths and is oriented to the market and customers.
The flexibility and innovative strength of the new EnBW are reflected in the design of its working worlds: spacious areas enable agile forms of independent working and promote a culture of open discussion and network-based learning. Events such as the interactive management forum – a biannual event for the top three management levels – are a symbol of this new team culture. At the Group-wide Innovation Campus, every employee at EnBW is given the opportunity to become an intrapreneur, contribute their own ideas and develop them further within the Group.
The market, customers and technology are already dictating the rapid pace of the Energiewende today: other young and agile competitors are entering the market and customers are demanding individual and digitally networked solutions. New technologies demand that all project developers constantly examine the market for any new opportunities. We are preparing ourselves for this “sprint logic” with the EnBW 2025 strategy: Targeted coaching of employees and selective external recruiting will allow the company to anticipate market developments. New, agile management models and forms of cooperation will increase the pace at which we work in the Group. This will enable us to keep on shaping a faster and more complex energy world together with our employees.
Interview with Volker Reinhard, Head of HR, Generation Sector, EnBW.
What changes have taken place in the area of generation at EnBW?
Volker Reinhard: EnBW was characterised by the operation of large, labourintensive coal, nuclear and hydropower power plants. Our activities were mainly focused in Baden-Württemberg. Today, our wind and solar power plants are distributed across Germany, which is why we have established branches in Trier, Erfurt, Hamburg and Berlin. A lot has also changed from a structural perspective. Generation used to be organised as its own company but today the project planning, construction and operation of power plants is combined in business units. Agile working methods support the project work and are set up in parallel to the line organisation.
What new skills does EnBW require in the area of renewable energies?
Volker Reinhard: In the case of specialist tradesmen, the basic training requirements for employees have remained almost the same. In contrast, our project work has changed fundamentally. We have to adapt much more quickly today to numerous modern technologies and further training has now become much more significant than in the past. Specialist skills are required, in particular, for the realisation of large wind, solar or hydropower projects. This ranges from the logistical organisation of these major projects through to special geological expertise for the deep foundations required by wind turbines. This is why we are always pleased to find employees who already have experience in these areas. As we have already gained a very good level of knowledge at our site in Hamburg over the last few years, we are also able to use this very high level of expertise to provide relevant training ourselves. In addition, EnBW remains in contact with colleges and universities to assess what qualifications we will need in the future. An important factor is the geographical mobility of our employees, not only within Germany but also increasingly internationally.
What does the “Next Level EnBW” initiative mean for the area of generation and especially for renewable energies?
Volker Reinhard: We have set ourselves the following goal as part of “Next Level EnBW”: We want to be proactive and flexible from both a strategic and organisational perspective to ensure that we have a presence on all relevant markets. This includes selective internationalisation. We will also organise our portfolio so that it is stable and sustainable. As larger power plants will play a more important role in the future, we will keep a close eye on current and future generation technologies – such as floating wind turbines. This will enable us to continue to operate profitably and add our own value to Group earnings.
Why should people apply to work at EnBW?
Volker Reinhard: A job at EnBW offers many exciting challenges and will leave you wanting even more. I believe that there has never been such a good opportunity to help fight climate change than to find a meaningful vocation in the generation of renewable energies. And EnBW is amongst the frontrunners in this field. In this way, we can try to make the world that little bit better.
We are supplementing our long-standing core expertise with new skills.
Asking the Experts: How has your job changed?
Stefan Kansy (Head of New Construction Projects at EnBW): EnBW Baltic 1 was the first commercial offshore wind farm in Germany to be placed into operation. The offshore wind farm EnBW Baltic 2 – which was completed in 2015 – surpassed EnBW Baltic 1 in all dimensions. The planning and logistical challenges faced in the construction of our third offshore wind farm project EnBW Hohe See/Albatros were even higher: Each of the 87 wind turbines is three times larger than the ones at Baltic 1, the turbines are located 100 km from the coast in the North Sea instead of 16 km out in the Baltic Sea and the total capacity of Hohe See/Albatros is twelve times that of Baltic 1. This clearly illustrates how dynamically the skills at EnBW have developed in the project planning for large offshore wind farms.
Thorsten Jörß (Head of Project Development for Photovoltaics): A large EnBW team ranging from technicians and purchasers through to lawyers participates in the development and implementation of a solar park project. That makes agile working models essential. We are constantly searching for new PV sites across Germany throughout the year. If the regional conditions are favourable, we begin the detailed planning work. However, we can only implement our plans if we are successful in the corresponding EEG auction. And we all work together to achieve this goal.
Rico Goede (EnBW Local Authority Consultant): Citizens today want to be a part of the Energiewende. At the same time, our customers and the local authorities are still concerned about their own autarchy. Involving mayors and town councils in the planning process at an early stage helps to gain acceptance for the project amongst citizens and thus secure the long-term success of the project. This is why our relationship management department accompanies the process of political decision-making at the local level from the very beginning. At the same time, we also examine the local PV market at an early stage of the planning.
Armin Reitze (Mayor of Leibertingen): The municipality of Leibertingen wanted to make its contribution to pushing forward the Energiewende. EnBW discussed our proposals with us and implemented them to our satisfaction. The new solar power plants barely disturb anybody here. Photovoltaic plants are only permitted on certain sites such as on land with a low agricultural yield. There are many sites of this type in the Swabian Alb region. And the impact on nature due to soil sealing is limited.
Interview with Ingo Peter Voigt, Head of Finance, M&A and Investor Relations, and Peter Berlin, Director for Capital Markets, both at EnBW.
How has the financing strategy at EnBW changed over the last few years?
Ingo Peter Voigt: As part of our strategic repositioning through EnBW 2020, we did not just significantly intensify the expansion of renewable energies but also focussed on other aspects of sustainable supply and sustainable business, such as restructuring and expanding the grids and investing in e-mobility. Accodingly, we also rigorously updated our financing strategy and made it more sustainable. EnBW has raised 1.5 billion euros solely through the issuing of green bonds in the last two years. Our message is clear: The majority of the bonds that we issue on the market in future will be green bonds.
What are green bonds?
Peter Berlin: Bonds are “green” when they finance investment in sustainability goals. There has been strong demand on the markets for this type of bond. Our green bonds especially address a wider group of investors who invest in sustainable products out of conviction.
How does EnBW use the proceeds from green bonds?
Ingo Peter Voigt: We have used the proceeds from the green bonds in the area of offshore wind power, primarily for the wind farms EnBW Hohe See and EnBW Albatros which were completed at the turn of the year. In addition, we are investing in onshore wind, e-mobility and photovoltaic projects.
The majority of the bonds that we issue on the market in future will be green bonds.
How does EnBW ensure transparency with respect to the use of the funds?
Ingo Peter Voigt: Issuers of green bonds have to guarantee in advance that the funds raised will be invested in green projects and subsequently provide their investors with annual verification of the sustainable use of the funds and a report on the impact on the environment.
Peter Berlin: Which standards apply to green bonds and what the word “sustainable” actually means must, therefore, be defined clearly and understandably for all market participants. The first standards were set by the European Commission with their guidelines on climate-related reporting for companies. Other guidelines are based on the proposals by the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) appointed by the Financial Stability Board of the G20.
Ingo Peter Voigt: EnBW participated in and actively contributed to the relevant working groups at a very early stage. At the same time, we also integrated the results into our own form of reporting. It is for this reason that it was relatively easy for us to establish the institutional framework for the issuing of green bonds and to have it certified by renowned sustainability rating agencies. This guarantees to all investors that the green bonds issued by EnBW are sustainable.