Second PPA signed with EnBW to drive Evonik’s renewable energy ambitions

A further 50 MW of green wind energy from EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the North Sea will be supplied to Evonik from 2026. This will give Evonik a total of 150 MW from EnBW’s wind farm, covering around one-third of its electricity needs in Europe. (Symbolic image EnBW / photographer Rolf Otzipka)

Evonik to Source Over a Third of its European Power Requirements from Offshore Wind Energy

(IN BRIEF) Evonik, a specialty chemicals company, has signed a second power purchase agreement (PPA) with EnBW for an additional 50 MW of offshore wind energy. This agreement brings Evonik’s total capacity from EnBW’s “He Dreiht” wind farm to 150 MW, enough to cover over a third of its European power requirements starting from 2026. The wind farm is set to become operational in 2025 and will use 15 MW turbines. This move by Evonik is part of its effort to transition to renewable energy sources and reduce its carbon emissions.

(PRESS RELEASE) KARLSRUHE/ ESSEN, 2-Feb-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (ETR: EBK), one of the “big” energy suppliers in Germany, has entered into a second power purchase agreement with Evonik, a specialty chemicals company, for an additional 50 MW of wind energy from its planned “He Dreiht” offshore wind farm. This new agreement builds on the previous 100 MW agreement signed between the two companies last year and positions EnBW as a major supplier of clean energy to Evonik.

From 2026, EnBW will provide Evonik with a total of 150 MW of green wind energy, accounting for over a third of Evonik’s electricity needs in Europe. This is a significant milestone in EnBW’s efforts to transition to a more sustainable energy mix and drive the energy transition forward.

The “He Dreiht” wind farm, which will be located in the North Sea, is one of Europe’s biggest energy transition projects and will be operational at the end of 2025. EnBW secured the contract for the wind farm in 2017 with a zero-cent bid and will use state-of-the-art 15 MW turbines for the project. EnBW is expected to make the final investment decision in the first quarter of 2023.

EnBW is committed to providing clean energy solutions and this partnership with Evonik is an exciting step in that direction. The agreement demonstrates the trust that companies like Evonik have in EnBW’s ability to deliver renewable energy solutions and sets a positive example for the energy industry as a whole.

“Extending the cooperation with EnBW is the next step on our way to significantly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and their price fluctuations,” says Christian Kullmann, CEO of Evonik. Evonik announced the first tranche of the PPA with EnBW back in November. Further supply contracts for green electricity directly from the producer are currently in the planning stage. “We are fully determined to increase the share of green electricity in our energy mix and thus further reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Kullmann.

“We are building the ‘He Dreiht’ wind farm with money raised on the market rather than through state funding. Long-term power purchase agreements are the right way for us to expand renewable capacity,” explains EnBW board member Georg Stamatelopoulos. “PPAs have established themselves as a key instrument in the energy transition. It is therefore all the more important that state intervention in the market does not represent any kind of permanent solution. This could have a negative impact on the willingness to invest and hamper the further expansion of renewable capacity. We are delighted to be able to help Evonik to reduce carbon emissions with another package of offshore wind energy. By doing so, we are gradually helping to decarbonize the industrial sector,” he adds.

“Last year, we saw a significant increase in inquiries from medium-sized and large companies,” says Stamatelopoulos. “This shows that there is considerable interest among companies in using PPAs to consistently pursue their own sustainability goals. It represents a significant contribution to the energy transition and we can only achieve it together.”

“At present, 27 percent of Evonik’s externally purchased electricity worldwide already comes from renewable sources. The two PPA tranches secured with EnBW will significantly increase this figure to around 50 percent,” says Thomas Wessel, management board member responsible for sustainability at Evonik. “At the same time, the cooperation will reduce Evonik’s Scope 2 emissions, i.e., emissions attributable to externally purchased power, by 150,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year,” says Wessel.

Evonik is one of the world’s leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.38 billion in 2021. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. Around 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life, today and tomorrow.

Legal notice

Insofar as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.

With over 26,000 employees, EnBW is one of the largest energy companies in Germany and Europe. It supplies around 5.5 million customers with electricity, gas, water as well as services and products in the areas of infrastructure and energy. The expansion of renewable energies is a cornerstone of the growth strategy and a focus of investment. EnBW will invest around four billion euros in the further expansion of wind and solar energy between 2021 and 2025. By the end of 2025, more than half of the generation portfolio is set to consist of renewable energies. Furthermore, the expansion of renewable energies is an important part of EnBW’s Sustainability Agenda as the company heads towards climate neutrality by 2035.

EnBW has been actively involved in PPA matters in Germany from the very beginning: In 2019, the company signed the first PPA of its kind in Germany with Energiekontor. In December 2021, it announced the first supply contract with Fraport AG for 85 megawatts of electricity from the “He Dreiht” offshore wind farm. Evonik followed in 2022 with 100 MW and Salzgitter with 50 MW.

Media contact:

Ramona Sallein
Press Spokesperson
Photovoltaic
Phone: +49 721 63-14321
r.sallein@enbw.com

SOURCE: EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG