The Management Board of ABO Energy sees the current market environment as an opportunity to expand beyond its long-standing role as a project developer and move into building and operating its own renewable energy parks. For almost 30 years, the company has been active as a pure-play project developer. Now, it is considering extending its value chain by creating a portfolio of operational wind, solar, and battery storage facilities, positioning itself as an Independent Power Producer (IPP). This step would also allow ABO Energy to enter new energy-related business areas.
According to Managing Director Dr. Karsten Schlageter, the energy markets have changed significantly in the past two years. The new conditions favor integrated business models that combine development with operation, creating additional opportunities and synergies. By becoming an operator of renewable energy and storage assets, ABO Energy would be able to offer more tailored solutions to large power consumers, using its strong expertise in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to meet their specific electricity needs. A balanced portfolio of wind, solar, and battery projects would also enable the company to offer stable baseload electricity to the market.
The shift is particularly relevant in the German wind energy sector, which remains central to ABO Energy. For years, the market was marked by limited supply, with fewer projects available than investor demand. In such a situation, selling all projects made sense. However, between 2019 and 2024, annual approved wind power capacity in Germany grew more than sevenfold, from 1.9 to 14.1 gigawatts. With supply now better able to meet demand, retaining and operating projects has become increasingly attractive.
ABO Energy is well-positioned for this transition, with a development pipeline of around 34 gigawatts across multiple countries and a strong team capable of building and managing projects. Many of its projects are close to construction readiness. However, the company acknowledges that financing is the key challenge in building a significant operational portfolio. To address this, ABO Energy has begun talks with potential investors. Initial discussions suggest that many investors would only commit at a larger scale if they were granted shareholder rights.
In this context, Managing Director Dr. Schlageter has expressed gratitude to the founding families, Ahn and Bockholt, for their willingness to sell shares if needed. The company’s articles of association already provide an option for converting back into a public limited company (“Aktiengesellschaft”), should shareholder participation be required. This legal structure was in place more than two years ago, before the company shifted to a partnership limited by shares in response to market conditions at the time.
Although the expectations for 2023 were only partly fulfilled, ABO Energy believes it is now in a strong position to advance its growth strategy. In the coming months, the company intends to deepen discussions with potential partners and carefully examine all available options for building and operating its own renewable energy portfolio.
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