Heat company Ennatuurlijk is taking over all geothermal activities of ECW Energy. The two organizations announced this on Tuesday. After the takeover, the heat company wants ECW Geoholding B.V. to first operate independently from Ennatuurlijk so that existing projects and developments can continue. Further integration may follow later, with the geothermal plans of Ennatuurlijk and ECW Geoholding B.V. becoming more intertwined.
Ennatuurlijk currently supplies heat to over 85,000 households and 1,200 companies throughout the Netherlands. That heat is sourced locally because the heat company links local producers and receivers of heat. Ennatuurlijk thus wants to accelerate the energy transition.
Ennatuurlijk was looking for parties with knowledge and expertise about geothermal heat. In mid-2021, the first talks arose between the heat company and ECW Netwerk B.V. to take over their division, ECW Geoholding B.V.
Ennatuurlijk sees the acquisition of ECW Geoholding B.V. as 'a unique opportunity' to take over a customer group in addition to 25 colleagues equipped with very specific knowledge and skills. Ennatuurlijk looks forward to working with them to develop geothermal energy in the Andijk and Middenmeer regions but also in the rest of the Netherlands.
Ernst Japikse, Managing Director of Ennatuurlijk: "By taking over ECW Geoholding B.V., I expect that we will be able to accelerate ECW Geoholding B.V.'s and Ennatuurlijk's ambition in the field of geothermal heat. This is because ECW Geoholding B.V. has processes, systems, and knowledge that Ennatuurlijk has yet to develop. The employees of ECW Geoholding B.V. have laid an amazing foundation and shown how well they can do this. Together with our strength and scale, we are going to ensure that the potential of geothermal heat is going to be developed and utilized optimally."
Robert Kielstra, Managing Director of ECW Netwerk: "ECW Geoholding B.V. has entered the next phase. We see the demand for geothermal heat rising sharply and see in Ennatuurlijk the party to further roll out our knowledge and expertise. Ennatuurlijk has the potential to turn the 'local hero' that ECW Geoholding B.V. is now into a 'national hero' in the field of geothermal heat. That offers security and opportunities for our employees and customers."
Through the acquisition of ECW Geoholding B.V., Ennatuurlijk expects to accelerate its own geothermal targets. "This is because ECW Geoholding B.V. has proven processes and systems that Ennatuurlijk would otherwise still have to develop itself," said Japikse. "They have already gone through the learning curve from which Ennatuurlijk can benefit."
Ennatuurlijk signed the preliminary purchase agreement on 19 September 2022 and will later take over the shares, activities, and employees of ECW Geoholding B.V., all employees of ECW Geoholding B.V., will remain employed. After the acquisition, the first priority will be to allow ECW Geoholding B.V. to operate remotely independently of Ennatuurlijk so that existing projects and developments can continue. Further integration may follow later, with the geothermal plans of Ennatuurlijk and ECW Geoholding B.V. becoming more intertwined.
For more information:
ECW Energy
www.ecwenergy.nl
Ennatuurlijk
www.ennatuurlijk.nl