Axpo has received final approval from the European authorities to purchase Volkswind GmbH and will thus become a key player in the construction and development of wind power plants in Germany and France.
On 16 July 2015, Axpo stated that the company had reached an agreement to purchase Volkswind GmbH, one of the leading developers and operators of wind farms in Germany and France. The acquisition has now been finalised. The merger control authorities in the separate European Union countries have agreed to the purchase.
With the purchase of the company, Axpo takes over 29 operating wind farms with a total capacity of 145 megawatts (MW), and acquires a major project pipeline in France and Germany, 460 MW of which has already been granted construction approval and another 2,740 MW in various stages of development. The core business of the company, which is considered to be a pioneer in wind farm development, is the construction and operation of wind power plants. Volkswind has completed more than 60 wind farms to date. When it comes to customers, the company has a broadly diversified portfolio, with Germany and France counting among its key markets. Axpo will take over and strengthen Volkswind’s entire workforce.
Christoph Sutter, Head of the New Energies division at Axpo, is pleased about the takeover: “For us the acquisition is a monumental step forward in the quest to grow our business with renewable energies.
Axpo is thus entering a new business area: with the development and construction of wind farms we will be able to substantially increase our added value in the future. In conjunction with the experience that Axpo has gained across Europe in wind farm management, we now find ourselves in an excellent position.”
Katja Stommel, CEO of Volkswind, comments: “The successful merger with Axpo is a great achievement for us. We have found the best partner to take Volkswind to the next level and fully exploit the potential of the company.”
