Solar plant from Ranft. The group of companies is planning further solar projects in several countries. / Photo: Ranft
09.07.21 Bonds / AIF
Ranft Group plans solar projects - can investors invest?
The Austrian National Council passed the Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG) on Wednesday. Will the Bad Mergentheim-based Ranft Group benefit from this? There is also news in the Ranft markets of Germany and Italy. Investors can currently invest in Ranft Group companies via a bond and subordinated loans.
The Renewable Energy Expansion Act sets out the framework conditions for the expansion of green electricity in Austria over the next ten years. According to the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), the EAG will be discussed in the Federal Council next week and may also be passed there. According to ORF, the notification process with the EU Commission for all parts where this is necessary, for example subsidies via market premiums, is running parallel to the decision. The aim of the EAG is for Austria's electricity requirements to be covered 100 percent from renewable sources by 2030 in purely mathematical terms.
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Ranft active in Austria
The Ranft Group has now also built up a team of employees in Austria. According to the "Ranft Report 2 2021" (prepared on June 21, 2021), the Ranft Group in Austria has applied for funding for solar projects with a total nominal output of 24 megawatts (MW). According to the Ranft Report, Austria plans to increase the expansion of energy production with photovoltaics almost tenfold by an additional 11,000 MW in order to achieve the EAG targets. The planned annual expansion will therefore be 1,100 MW.
According to the report, Ranft has 128 megawatt peak (MWp) in its current project list for Austria. Two specific photovoltaic projects with a volume of 3.5 MWp and 8 MWp are currently in final negotiations, according to the Ranft report. When asked by ECOreporter, Managing Director Michael Ranft explained that the majority of Ranft's current projects in Austria are not dependent on the EAG, but that the electricity is to be supplied to direct customers via long-term purchase agreements.
New opportunities for solar projects in Italy?
According to the Ranft Report, a decree from the end of May 2021 will make it easier to obtain planning permission for solar installations in Italy. According to the report, the Ranft Group is currently examining a portfolio of around 400 hectares of industrial and commercial land in northern Italy that would meet the new requirements in Italy.
Offers from Ranft Invest and Ranft Energie
Are there plans for Ranft Invest GmbH and/or Ranft Energie GmbH to invest in one or more of the planned projects in Italy and/or Austria? According to Michael Ranft, "this is basically being considered for both countries".
Ranft Invest GmbH is currently offering a bond that can also be traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is currently quoted at around 100 percent, i.e. its nominal value. ECOreporter has analyzed the bond offer in an ECOinvestment check.
Ranft Energie GmbH had offered the subordinated loan "Ranft Energie 2019", which ECOreporter examined in an ECOanlagecheck around one and a half years ago. The non-public subordinated loan offer "Ranft Beteiligungen 2021" from Ranft Energie GmbH is currently listed on the Ökodirekt GmbH website.
According to Michael Ranft, Ranft Energie GmbH will also supply part of the electricity for the production of green hydrogen within the Bad Langensalza model project. The Bad Langensalza solar park in Thuringia has a nominal output of 9.25 MW and went into operation in the second quarter of 2021.
