REPOWER

Repartner Produktions AG

Recognising needs

Our sales staff need to have a feel for what customers need now or will need in future, and they get that by closely monitoring the market. They devise offerings that benefit both parties.

Additional security in the turbulent electricity market

“Repartner” — a new Repower offering for Swiss electricity suppliers

Expiring electricity supply contracts, a changing power mix, increasing internationalisation of electricity procurement: some energy utilities are having to confront previously unknown challenges. Repartner from Repower offers new solutions and gives small and medium-sized Swiss utilities access to diversified generation capacity.

Major energy suppliers secure their electricity needs by engaging in international electricity trading, building their own power plants in their home countries or abroad and making use of various technologies, which allows them to secure their electricity needs over the long term at calculable costs. However, many smaller and medium-sized companies are deterred by the expense this entails. They either decide to concentrate exclusively on their core business of being a reliable supplier to their end customers, or, because of their size or focus, they have no interest in internationalising their business or involving themselves in project development. Nevertheless, many of them want to ensure that their future energy sources are more diversified for risk management reasons.

Progressive expansion

Repower, itself active in electricity trading and in diversified international project development, has taken on this challenge and, together with Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke AG, IBAarau and Wasserwerke Zug AG, has developed a new partnership model designed to tackle the challenges described above. The result of this joint development is Repartner Produktions AG, which was established in 2011 as a generation investment company that will progressively acquire generating capacities over the next few years, giving participants access to their own electricity without the need to establish additional activities of their own. In the interim, additional partners have come onboard, including Energie Wasser Luzern, Elektrizitätswerk Nidwalden, IBC Energie Wasser Chur and Rhiienergie. They benefit from their investments in the form of additional security in the turbulent environment of the electricity market.

Focus on customer requirements

Repartner Produktions AG is to be progressively equipped with a capacity of 400 megawatts over the coming years, which represents a generating volume of some 1.800 gigawatt hours - almost as much the annual electricity consumption of the Canton of Graubünden. Repartner Produktions AG's power generation and project portfolio is concentrated in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France. The mix includes electricity generated by hydropower plants, wind farms and gas-fired power plants. In line with the requirements of our partners, it will cover base, medium and peak loads. Slightly under 25 per cent are being invested in new renewables. Repartner Produktions AG kicked off in early 2012 with electricity from the Taschinas hydropower plant in Switzerland and two wind farms in Germany. The coming years will see further expansion, with full capacity expected to be reached in around eight years' time. Repower will retain a 51 per cent stake in Repartner Produktions AG, while 49 per cent will be available to its partners.

Repartner AG's offering has proven extremely attractive, with the majority of the shares available already subscribed by the end of 2011. Repower therefore considers there to be potential for further expansion of the concept.

Repower as an innovative partner

“The Repartner concept illustrates how Repower positions itself on the market - as a partner that takes on and develops innovative projects in tandem with its customers.” This is how Gian Andri Diem, Head of Market Development, explains the approach to which Repower is committed. In contrast to comparable offerings, Repower works with the initial partners from the outset. The result is a broad-based offering that is aligned to the requirements of the participants and that will continue to develop in the coming years. Repower considers that this approach recommends it as an innovative partner in the regulated, only partially liberalised Swiss market.