Peter Drausnigg (GF SW Bad Nauheim), Holger Armbrüster (Prokurist SW Marburg), Peter Hans Hoeg (GF ovag Netz), Oliver Habekost (Prokurist Kreiswerke Main- Kinzig), Dr. Bernhard Müller ( GF sw Marburg).
The legal framework conditions are leading to cost-intensive infrastructure projects in the energy sector. Managing them alone would push many companies to their limits. This is why Stadtwerke Gießen AG and the OVAG Group have founded smartSTADTwerke GmbH & Co. The aim is to master the upcoming challenges together. Five other regional utility companies have recognised the potential and will be cooperating with smartSTADTwerke in future.
If the energy transition is to succeed, it will not only require additional renewable power plants and the much-cited grid expansion. A completely new data infrastructure is also needed, for example, to better harmonise the supply and demand of electricity. "Basically, all energy suppliers have to undertake this upcoming reorganisation," says Markus Klüh, Managing Director of smartSTADTwerke. And he adds: "That's why it makes sense to tackle the issues facing us together instead of each company developing its own solutions."
This is precisely why Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG) and the OVAG Group (OVAG) have set up smartSTADTwerke GmbH & Co. SWG holds 73.9 per cent of the shares, OVAG holds 25.1 per cent. The remaining 1 per cent is owned by Elektrizitätswerk Hammermühle Versorgungs GmbH. But three owners are not enough. "We planned the company as a cooperation platform from the outset," explains Dr Thorsten Reichel, also Managing Director of smartSTADTwerke. This is now taking shape: Representatives of the management of Energie und Versorgung Butzbach GmbH, Kreiswerke Main-Kinzig GmbH, Stadtwerke Bad Nauheim GmbH, Stadtwerke Lauterbach GmbH and Stadtwerke Marburg GmbH signed a corresponding cooperation agreement with smartSTADTwerke.
Many advantages
It is no coincidence that the managers of these five municipal utility companies based in the region decided to work together with smartSTADTwerke. After all, there are many arguments in favour of cooperation on the broadest possible basis. First and foremost, efficiency. "The following applies to practically every upcoming major project in our sector: we can make massive savings in costs and resources if as many people as possible work together to develop solutions," Markus Klüh is certain. In addition, the development risks for each individual are significantly reduced if several partners work together," adds Dr Thorsten Reichel. What's more, a joint approach offers decisive advantages when it comes to the further education and training of the necessary specialists and managers. In fact, the introduction of a joint academy is planned. This will make it possible to provide targeted training on important topics for all those involved and also utilise the capacity of the events. Last but not least, smartSTADTwerke distinguishes itself from other providers of comparable services through one important feature: its regional proximity. It ensures that the employees involved from the various companies also network on a personal level. This is likely to contribute significantly to success.
Basically, smartSTADTwerke and the cooperation based on it is all about leveraging synergies," summarises Markus Klüh. This applies to expertise, the utilisation of IT systems and many other parameters. This is why he and his colleague Dr Thorsten Reichel are already one step ahead: the two Managing Directors are already talking to managers from other regional companies. The aim is to convince them of the advantages of smartSTADTwerke and to win them over as partners for co-operation on an equal footing.