With this purchase, the total power capacity of the portfolio will increase to more than 70 megawatts.
Hamburg / Munich
The Hamburg-based investment company CEE (Conetwork Erneuerbare Energien Holding GmbH & Co. KGaA) is acquiring two new photovoltaic ground-mounted systems, continuing the consistent expansion of its solar portfolio.
With this purchase, the total power capacity of the portfolio will increase to more than 70 megawatts. One of the new solar parks is located in Ebern in Lower Franconia, where CEE already operates a PV park, and the other in Rohr, in southern Thuringia. Both projects have been commissioned in December, 2011 and are close to completion. In Ebern a nominal capacity of about 7.1 megawatts of solar power will be supplied to the local grid and about 4.3 megawatts in Rohr. In the park in Ebern, First Solar modules have been used and in the Rohr park, Sunowe modules. Both parks have been equipped with Siemens inverters.
The project developer, EPC contractor and technical lead operator for the new groundmounted systems is Gehrlicher Solar AG. Since 2008, CEE has already purchased four photovoltaic parks from Gehrlicher. CEE will be responsible for the business management for both of the most recently purchased parks. “We are pleased to implement two more solar parks in Bavaria and Thuringia together with Gehrlicher Solar, one of our most important partners in the photovoltaic sector,” says Detlef Schreiber, CEO of CEE. “We would like to continue the successful cooperation established with the six existing parks to realize further PV projects in the future.” Klaus Gehrlicher, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar AG, adds: “We are also very satisfied with the smooth negotiation process and look forward to transferring both solar parks to CEE.”
CEE is a specialist in renewable energy investments. The company already holds a diversified portfolio in the photovoltaic, wind power, biomass and geothermal segments. In addition to the ongoing expansion of the portfolio with energy generation projects, CEE will also strengthen its commitment to supporting new sustainable technologies in the future. Part of this commitment is the strategic partnership concluded in November of this year with RWE Innogy: CEE is now a participant in the Innogy Renewables Technology Fund I (IRTF I) with € 25 million and has acquired 25.1 percent of the fund’s general partner, Innogy Venture Capital GmbH. The goal is to work together to expand the fund’s portfolio from the previous nine technology companies up to fourteen. The total fund volume is currently € 115 million.
About CEE
CEE is a Hamburg-based equity investment company specialized in investments in the areas of renewable energies and cleantech. CEE manages a private equity volume of about 250 million Euros. The company invests private equity and mezzanine capital in energy generation projects primarily from the wind, photovoltaic, biogas, biomass heating plant and near-surface geothermal energy sectors. Furthermore the company invests in corresponding energy generation and energy efficiency technology companies. In the technology investment sector CEE is part of a joint venture with RWE Innogy in the form of a venture capital company. CEE share holders are only few, long-term oriented institutional investors and family offices based in Germany that have a sustained interest in the renewable energies market. CEE is managed by Lampe Corporate Finance GmbH, which belongs to Bankhaus Lampe KG and has more than ten years of experience in financing renewable energies. For more information please visit: www.cee-holding.de
About Gehrlicher Solar AG
Gehrlicher Solar AG is an internationally operating photovoltaics company based in Germany with subsidiaries and joint ventures in Brazil, France, Great Britain, India, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the USA. Globally, the Gehrlicher Group has about 400 employees and in the fiscal year 2010 achieved sales of 343 million Euro. The company which was founded in 1994 develops, plans, builds, finances and operates solar power systems for ground mounting and for roofs – from private houses to multimegawatt systems. In addition, it distributes solar modules and inverters as well as components from its own GehrTec product range. Gehrlicher Solar also plans, sets up and manages profit-oriented photovoltaic funds and private placements for private and institutional investors. Further information from www.gehrlicher.com
