RWE Innogy acquires 20.22 percent of the shares of the Belgian developer and operator of offshore wind farms, C-Power NV, Zwijndrecht. The shares are sold by the Belgian investment companies Ecotech and Socofe, both located in Liège. RWE Innogy also acquires 6.5 percent of C-Power from other shareholders (EDF Energies Nouvelles, Nutsbedrijven Houdstermaatschappij and DEME).

C-Power develops and constructs the offshore wind farm Thornton Bank. Thornton Bank is the first offshore wind farm off the Belgian coast which has already been fully permitted. Access to the grid has also been secured.

Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, CEO of RWE Innogy: "Thornton Bank is one of the first offshore wind farms worldwide, built at a depth of up to 28 metres up to 30 kilometres off the coast. This is why the investment provides us with an excellent opportunity to not only contribute, but also extend our experience significantly in the offshore sector. This will benefit our ambitious development aims in the offshore sector."

Filip Martens, CEO of C-Power: "We are happy to have found a very experienced partner with RWE for the construction and further development of the Thornton Bank project, because we want to set high standards with this wind farm in the offshore sector.“

Claude Grégoire, Managing Director of Socofe: “Socofe and Ecotech Finance have supported their subsidiary C-Power in this project since its beginnings. As a result, the company has been able for almost ten years to finance its technical and economic development. With 20 percent of the shares now, we continue to have a significant involvement in a project in which we believe”.

Michel Savonet, CEO of Ecotech Finance: “We are particularly happy to see that the acquisition is pursued by a group with the reputation and experience of RWE. Together with Socofe, we will continue to move the project forward and will use the proceeds from the sale to contribute to funding the second phase. A participation in similar projects is also conceivable.”

Tags: RWE Group