Close menu




May 17th, 2023 | 08:10 CEST

Heat pump madness and grid expansion: Vonovia, JinkoSolar, Grid Metals

  • Mining
  • Commodities
  • Lithium
  • Copper
  • Nickel
  • renewableenergies
  • Energy
Photo credits: pixabay.com

A few weeks ago, Federal Economy Minister Habeck and Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Haseloff broke ground for the "SuedOstLink" converter. From 2027, wind energy will flow over the route to Bavaria for the first time. But the north-south connection is only part of the solution. Experts are sounding the alarm and consider massive investments in "the last mile" to be necessary. We take a look at what lies ahead and which companies could benefit.

time to read: 3 minutes | Author: Nico Popp
ISIN: VONOVIA SE NA O.N. | DE000A1ML7J1 , JINKOSOLAR ADR/4 DL-00002 | US47759T1007 , GRID METALS CORP. | CA39814L1076

Table of contents:


    Dr. Thomas Gutschlag, CEO, Deutsche Rohstoff AG
    "[...] China's dominance is one of the reasons why we are so heavily involved in the tungsten market. Here, around 85% of production is in Chinese hands. [...]" Dr. Thomas Gutschlag, CEO, Deutsche Rohstoff AG

    Full interview

     

    Vonovia: Heat pump strategy fails on the grid

    The fact that the large power lines from north to south can only be part of the solution was shown a few weeks ago in headlines made by the housing company Vonovia: numerous heat pumps for apartment buildings could not be connected because the grid capacity was insufficient. Yet the heat pump targets are ambitious: From 2024, 500,000 new heat pumps are to be connected to the grid every year. Put simply, heat pumps work according to the reverse principle of a refrigerator. A cooling liquid absorbs energy, is compressed accordingly and then rereleases this energy again. The required electrical energy is a worthwhile investment: With standard air-water heat pumps, generating three to five kW of thermal energy from one kW of electrical energy is possible, depending on the building insulation and existing surface heating systems.

    However, the network load increases significantly due to these devices. For example, if a family of four switches to a heat pump, the consumption often more than doubles. The Handelsblatt quotes Ingbert Liebing, CEO of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU), predicting that investments in distribution networks - the "last mile" - will increase by 60% to 100% by 2045 compared to 2018/2019. "The debate has been too focused on the transmission networks so far," Liebing told Handelsblatt.

    Boom of JinkoSolar and Co. about to end?

    For the energy transition in housing companies like Vonovia to succeed, investments in grid infrastructure are crucial. While the increasing number of private photovoltaic systems reduces the electricity demand, it does not alleviate the strain on the grid - the more private PV systems are operated in a municipality, the better prepared the grid must be. Municipal utilities have a reason to approve these installations and initially conduct a so-called grid compatibility test. The sales of solar companies like JinkoSolar and manufacturers of inverters also depend - at least in Germany - on the quality of the grids.

    Grid Metals: The share for power and storage

    The Canadian company Grid Metals offers access to nickel, copper and platinum metals with its Makwa-Mayville project in Manitoba, Canada. Palladium has also been proven at the project. A new resource estimate for the project is planned for later this year. Nickel and copper are considered key components for electrical conductors, the former especially in temperature-sensitive areas. In addition to the Makwa-Mayville project, Grid Metals offers access to battery metal with its Donner Lake Lithium project. An agreement is already in place with a nearby producer to process lithium on a trial basis with the option of permanent cooperation. Grid Metals already expects the first cash flows from this cooperation.

    The shares of Grid Metals are currently trading at CAD 0.16 in Canadian trading, down from more than CAD 0.20 in February. The Company's resource projects are still in development, so the market is valuing them at significant discounts. Upcoming resource estimates could provide a clearer outlook and attract more investors. Nevertheless, Grid Metals' stock will likely remain a speculative investment - with all its pros and cons. However, as the major underlying trend of the energy and mobility turnaround remains intact, and investments in pipeline networks, in particular, are only gradually taking place, Grid Metals could be worth keeping in mind. A more expansive monetary policy, or the expectation of one, is also fundamentally suitable for helping growth companies back on their feet. With its mix of classic industrial metals such as nickel and copper as well as lithium, the Company has several irons in the fire.


    While real estate companies are suffering from the market environment and the demands of the energy transition, manufacturers of photovoltaic panels are booming. However, even here, network operators initially require a network compatibility assessment. It cannot be ruled out that the boom in Germany will reach its limits due to poorly equipped grids in some communities. In the long run, all companies that provide solutions for better grids could benefit. Although Grid Metals is at an early stage, it is precisely these values that usually benefit disproportionately from price jumps in industrial metals such as nickel, copper and the like.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") may hold shares or other financial instruments of the aforementioned companies in the future or may bet on rising or falling prices and thus a conflict of interest may arise in the future. The Relevant Persons reserve the right to buy or sell shares or other financial instruments of the Company at any time (hereinafter each a "Transaction"). Transactions may, under certain circumstances, influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the Company.

    In addition, Apaton Finance GmbH is active in the context of the preparation and publication of the reporting in paid contractual relationships.

    For this reason, there is a concrete conflict of interest.

    The above information on existing conflicts of interest applies to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and the like on news.financial. These contents are exclusively for the information of the readers and do not represent any call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price developments. The contents do not replace individual expert investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the discussed share(s) or other financial instruments, nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

    The content is expressly not a financial analysis, but a journalistic or advertising text. Readers or users who make investment decisions or carry out transactions on the basis of the information provided here do so entirely at their own risk. No contractual relationship is established between Apaton Finance GmbH and its readers or the users of its offers, as our information only refers to the company and not to the investment decision of the reader or user.

    The acquisition of financial instruments involves high risks, which can lead to the total loss of the invested capital. The information published by Apaton Finance GmbH and its authors is based on careful research. Nevertheless, no liability is assumed for financial losses or a content-related guarantee for the topicality, correctness, appropriateness and completeness of the content provided here. Please also note our Terms of use.


    Der Autor

    Nico Popp

    At home in Southern Germany, the passionate stock exchange expert has been accompanying the capital markets for about twenty years. With a soft spot for smaller companies, he is constantly on the lookout for exciting investment stories.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by André Will-Laudien on March 28th, 2024 | 09:00 CET

    Attention: Uranium despite the energy transition! Does this fit together? Plug Power, Nel ASA, Kraken Energy and Renk Group in focus

    • Mining
    • Uranium
    • Energy
    • renewableenergies
    • nuclear

    It feels like a paradox. The EU aims to be largely climate-neutral by 2050. The main focus is on mobility, heat and energy generation. As a core country of the EU, Germany is taking the political lead in the necessary measures. While France, Poland, Finland and the Czech Republic are actively expanding nuclear energy, this form of energy is virtually taboo in many other countries. Germany has been able to increase its renewable energy sources to over 50% with billions in subsidies at the expense of the taxpayer and the price of energy. Yet, Berlin still has to buy cheap electricity from abroad and also use coal and gas to stabilize the grid. It all sounds kind of crazy, but it gets really interesting when the wind isn't blowing and the sun is only to be found behind the clouds. Which shares should be considered in this mixed situation?

    Read

    Commented by Juliane Zielonka on March 28th, 2024 | 08:50 CET

    Rheinmetall, Almonty Industries, Bayer AG - Arming up for defense with these stocks

    • Mining
    • Tungsten
    • armaments
    • Pharma

    The European Union is providing the defense group Rheinmetall with a total of EUR 130 million for ammunition production. The German company is one of six EU projects that are being funded in a special program to stockpile enough artillery pieces and secure supply chains. Here, Almonty Industries comes into play. Almonty specializes in the exploration, extraction and production of tungsten in two European countries, including Spain and Portugal. Tungsten is used in particular for ammunition. Almonty Industries also operates five mining projects, one of which is the largest tungsten project in South Korea. The increasing demand for the critical metal will soon cause the price of tungsten to skyrocket, as defense is becoming increasingly important for the countries and continents involved in the face of geopolitical tensions worldwide. Defense is also a topic at Bayer. The cancer drug Nubeqa supports the body's immune system in the fight against prostate cancer. Following the recent pipeline flop with Asundexian, the drug has great blockbuster potential and could bring billions of euros into the Company's coffers. Read more about why this is so important for Bayer at the moment.

    Read

    Commented by Fabian Lorenz on March 27th, 2024 | 08:45 CET

    Shares in Focus: TUI, Rheinmetall, and Defense Metals with good reasons for price increases

    • Mining
    • RareEarths
    • armaments
    • travel

    The TUI share was one of the top performers on the German stock market yesterday. The EUR 7 mark was exceeded, making things exciting on the chart. Analysts expect significantly higher prices for the tourism group. Rheinmetall shares are among the top performers of the year. An end to the price increase is not in sight. The armaments group has announced a new order worth billions. The manufacture of armaments, aircraft, cruise ships and numerous other high-tech products would not be possible without rare earths. However, most of these come from China and Russia. This makes the Defense Metals share interesting. The Company is making great strides with its rare earths project in Canada. The share should also benefit from this progress.

    Read