ABO Wind has reported its largest single transaction in the company’s history to date. The project developer has sold nine wind farm projects with a total nominal capacity of about 100 megawatts to the Czech supplier ČEZ Group (ČZ ). 70 percent of ČZ is owned by the Czech government and it is by its own account among the ten largest European energy suppliers. ČZ operates wind farms in several European countries – including Germany – and will now enter the French wind market in cooperation with ABO Wind.
For ABO Wind, France has traditionally been the second most important market after Germany. The French subsidiary ABO Wind SARL has more than 50 employees in Toulouse, Orléans, Nantes and Lyon. They have brought almost 300 megawatts of wind energy on-line and are currently working on additional projects with a total of 800 megawatts. Nine of these projects with a total of 101.8 megawatts were now purchased by ČZ. According to the agreement, ABO Wind will connect these projects, which are in different planning stages, to the grid over the next few years and also be responsible for their operational management. Last year, ABO Wind SARL has applied for permits for the wind energy projects sold to ČZ as well as another 420 megawatts in order to secure the tariff applicable until the end of 2016. It offers an inflation-indexed feed-in tariff of approx. 80 €MWh over a period of 15 years via a market bonus system.
Founded in 1996, ABO Wind has 20 years of experience in developing wind farms across Europe. The German-based company initiates wind farm projects, acquires site locations, organises all technical and business planning, arranges international bank financing and delivers turnkey wind farms. To date, ABO Wind has developed and connected 616 turbines with a total installed capacity of over 1,300 MW (of which 286 MW in France). The company has approximately 400 employees realising projects with an annual project volume of about 300 million Euros.
“This is our first project in the French renewable energy market, and we believe that more will follow. With similar acquisitions in countries with stable regulatory environments, we continue to fulfil our strategy aimed at increasing our operating profit before depreciation from renewable sources by CZK 3 bn (EUR 114 mil) by 2020. We are interested in completed onshore projects as well as in offshore projects and projects under development,” said Tomáš Pleskač, Chief Renewable Energy and Distribution Officer. CEZ Group has already analysed dozens of projects with a total installed capacity exceeding 2.5 GW.
CEZ Group has been active in the wind energy sector in Romania, Germany, Turkey and the Czech Republic. CEZ Group currently operates several wind farms in Europe, the total installed capacity of which exceeds 700 MW. The company monitors suitable acquisition opportunities in renewables and new technology solutions in other European countries with the aim of building a stable portfolio of assets at different stages of their life cycle and providing related services.
