“EnBW aims to become a ‘green giant’”

Germany’s third largest utility EnBW hopes investments in wind power and digital services will help it shed the image of a climate-damaging coal and nuclear company, reports Richard Fuchs for broadcaster Deutschlandradio. EnBW is using new management ideas to create a start-up culture, in what amounts to “shock therapy” for a rather traditional and sedate company with 20,000 employees, which is 90 percent publicly owned.  But despite strong investments in offshore wind parks, EnBW’s renewables share is only 13.8 percent, much of which is generated in old hydropower stations. Activists claim EnBW’s new strategic direction consists mainly of ‘greenwashing’, reports Fuchs.

Read or listen to the report in German here.

For background on the crisis of Germany’s largest utilities, consult the CLEW factsheets RWE’s plans for new renewable subsidiary and E.ON shareholders ratify energy giant’s split.