- Seller is BayWa r.e., Munich
- Talanx diversifies investment risk in alternative asset classes
- Company continues to expand sustainable investments in line with its strategy
- Solar park is subsidy free
CHANGCHUN, China, January. 13, 2019
/PVTIME/ -- The Talanx
Group is buying another solar park in Spain. The seller is BayWa r.e. renewable
energy GmbH, a company of the BayWa Group, Munich, to whom Talanx had
transferred operational management of its onshore wind farm portfolio in June
2019. The 50 MWp (megawatt-peak) solar farm is located near Seville in Spain
and will be connected to the power grid at the beginning of this year,
supplying electricity to some 30,000 households. Just like the Spanish solar
park Bienvenida, which Talanx bought in December 2019, this park is one of the
first subsidy-free solar farms in Europe. By making this move Talanx – in
keeping with its corporate sustainability strategy – continues to expand its
alternative investments and diversify its asset portfolio. The Group is now
reaping the benefits of both solar and wind power and guarantees sustainable
energy production.
"We are delighted to be purchasing this solar farm
from our cooperation partner BayWa r.e. This underscores our very good
cooperation to date", notes Dr Peter Brodehser, Head of Infrastructure
Investments at Talanx. "Through the transfer of ownership of the solar
farm we now have as well the opportunity to participate directly in the
development of this business. Furthermore, we are diversifying our risk by investing
in alternative assets."
Benedikt Ortmann, Global Director of Solar Projects at
BayWa r.e., adds: "With our third completely subsidy free solar farm Don
Rodrigo 2 we again demonstrated that solar power is the cheapest form of energy
production. We are happy to sell this solar park to Talanx, which has a clear
focus on alternative investments. This will deepen our partnership in the field
of solar energy."
Talanx has so far made available some EUR 220 million in debt capital for
financing solar farms and holds equity investments in onshore wind power
projects with a total output of 300 MW. "After the purchase of the Spanish
solar park Bienvenida in December 2019, we are now investing again in a solar
park and building up this asset class – as a complementary asset class to
wind", explains Brodehser. "Especially the Spanish solar parks are an
excellent alternative to our onshore windparks due to the high solar
radiation", he continues. This involvement will also help Talanx to
achieve the strategic objective that the company has set itself of doubling its
investments in infrastructure and renewables over the coming years to EUR 5
billion.
Altogether, the Group – which signed up to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in November and thereby committed itself to sustainable investing activities – has already invested more than EUR 2.2 billion in infrastructure and renewables – including more than EUR 1.3 billion directly in renewable energy sources (wind and solar). Within the German insurance industry it thus ranks among the leading investors and operators of renewable energy installations. The updated sustainability strategy of the Talanx Group envisages that from 2019 onwards it will operate with a net zero carbon footprint in Germany, become a leading insurer of renewable energy sources and – by 2038 – withdraw entirely from coal-based risks. The topics of "Education & Diversity", "Climate Protection" and "Sustainable Business Practices" are similarly enshrined in the sustainability goals.
SOURCE: Talanx Group
