Shell buys Next power plants

The energy giant is acquiring the Cologne-based start-up, which was founded in 2009, for an undisclosed sum. Shell already has plans for the employees.

In a red brick building in Ehrenfeld, founders Jochen Schwill and Hendrik Sämisch have spent the past few years working on their vision for the power generation of the future - and have now even convinced the British-Dutch company Shell with their idea. The energy giant is buying the Cologne-based start-up for an undisclosed sum, but is likely to have forked out a high double-digit or even triple-digit million amount.

According to Shell, it will take over the 180 employees currently working at Next Kraftwerke, and the virtual power plant will remain largely independent under its current management. The previous shareholders are selling their shares, including the founders Hendrik Sämisch and Jochen Schwill, as well as High-Tech Gründerfonds.

Next Kraftwerke aims to eliminate the disadvantages of renewable energy generation by bundling capacities. After all, the major disadvantage of renewable resources has always been that you have to rely on nature. But what do you do when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining?

Next Kraftwerke controls more than 10,000 decentralized energy plants via a virtual power plant and can activate or deactivate them from Cologne. If there is no wind, for example, Next Kraftwerke starts up the linked biogas plants. It then sells the electricity generated via the electricity exchange.

Hendrik Sämisch, founder and CEO of Next Kraftwerke, comments on the acquisition: "The merger of Shell and Next Kraftwerke will help accelerate the transition to a decarbonized energy system, as the synergies in electricity trading and risk management will allow us to benefit from the expected rapid increase in demand for renewable energy trading contracts."