Deutsche Essent GmbH is continuing to expand its wind energy activities in Germany. Today the company revealed that it plans to construct wind energy parks with a total capacity of 138 MW in Germany in 2007. Of these, seven wind energy parks with a total of 86 MW are to be erected in Lower-Saxony, and to be transferred to the ownership of an affiliate of the US investment company ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC. Essent will provide the operational management for all wind parks.

"The generation of power from wind energy has a long tradition at Essent and is part of the strategic core activity of our company," declared Paul van Son, Managing Director at Deutsche Essent. "We erected the first wind parks in the Netherlands as early as the mid 1980s. We are continuing to invest in expansion here and have an installed capacity of some 480 megawatts, around 390 megawatts of which are in Germany, making us one of the leading generators and suppliers of wind energy in North West Europe."

Deutsche Essent GmbH and Essent Wind

Deutsche Essent GmbH, Düsseldorf, has been operating since 2000 as a holding company for the German companies associated with the largest energy supplier in the Netherlands, Essent NV, Arnhem. It follows a long-term growth strategy and has a 51-percent share in swb AG, Bremen. Through swb AG, the company also has shares in suppliers in Bremerhaven, Bielefeld, Gütersloh, Soltau, Greifswald, and Ahlen. Deutsche Essent GmbH has also majority stake in KOM-STROM AG in Leipzig, through which it is further expanding its operations in the electricity sector. Deutsche Essent is also active in the natural gas market and is consolidating this business segment via novogate GmbH. Novogate is a joint subsidiary of Deutsche Essent and Bayerngas GmbH. Deutsche Essent has a gas storage facility in Epe. Essent Wind is a 100 % subsidiary company (Hanover and Zwolle) of Deutsche Essent GmbH and is responsible for all wind energy operations and developments within the Essent group. With an installed capacity of about 480 MW, it is one of the leading wind energy operators and developers in northwest Europe.

For further information please contact: Essent Media Relations at pressoffice@essent.nl or telephone +31 73 853 4939