Energie AG acquires stake in Slovenian wind, solar developer

Austrian company Energie AG Oberösterreich has acquired a 29.4% stake in AAE Gamit, a firm developing wind and solar projects in Slovenia.

Energie AG Oberösterreich said that the closing of the transaction marks the company’s official entry into the Slovenian market. The aim is to develop wind farms and photovoltaic parks in Slovenia with an overall capacity of more than 180 MW, the firm added.

The company’s supervisory board approved the investment in AAE Gamit in March 2023.

AAE Gamit is curently owned by Energie AG Oberösterreich, WIG Wietersdorfer Holding GmbH, Alpen-Adria Energie (AAE) GmbH, GAMIT Trgovina and Ökoenergie Gruppe from Wolkersdorf.

The firm is developing eight projects in Slovenia

Of note, in January 2023 AAE cleared the way for the construction of its wind power plant Dolenja Vas of up to 66 MW as the Government of Slovenia approved the spatial plan. Slovenia is among the very few EU countries without a single wind farm. The government recently refused to issue permits for the installation of wind turbines at Pohorje and Rogla.

Energie AG now said it is developing four wind projects with a combined capacity of 140 MW, and four PV projects of 40 MW in total in Slovenia. The projected annual output of the wind farms is 309 GWh while the planned solar power plants are seen generating 51 GWh per year.

The Slovenian joint venture is an essential component in achieving Energie AG’s renewables expansion target of 1 TWh of electricity from wind and sun per year by 2035, according to its announcement

Stöckler: Projects are located in the southern part of Slovenia

By participating in the wind and PV projects in Slovenia, Energie AG and partners are sending a clear signal towards sustainability and making an active contribution to a fossil-free future, Energie AG CEO Leonhard Schitter said.

The investment costs until 2028 will be covered by all partners.

“Our goal is to develop wind power and photovoltaic projects at eight different locations in the southern part of Slovenia. The first PV project should be developed in 2024, and a first wind project could be completed by 2026,” Peter Stöckler, Managing Director of Energie AG Generation, stressed.

According to AAE Gamit CEO Janez Tratnik, new strategic partners secure the key element for the project’s further development. He also highlighted the importance of regular exchange between the project partners and ongoing cooperation with the landowners, local communities and citizens.