Volkswagen, Royal Dutch Shell, Enapter, Nordex - Green investment opportunities

Speed must be increased

Whether Jamaica or traffic light, that the energy turnaround must be at the top of the to-do list of the new federal government is demanded not only by various industry associations but also by the business community. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess took to Twitter after the federal election to present ten proposals to the coalition parties currently negotiating. Among other things, he said, the CO2 price should rise to EUR 65 per metric ton as early as 2024. Subsidies for fossil fuels should be ended, and the phase-out of coal accelerated. By 2030, the expansion of renewable energies should be at least 255 gigawatts.

In addition, subsidies for company cars should be focused on vehicles with electric drives, and the purchase premium for electric cars should be maintained for the time being and gradually reduced by 2025. The future German government should "massively promote and expand" the charging infrastructure for electric cars and trucks and set mandatory targets for fast charging. Stronger support for bicycles, e-bikes and electrified car-sharing services is also "a must". Ride-pooling should also be put on an equal footing with public transport.

Regarding "green" hydrogen produced with renewable energy, the Volkswagen boss commented that it is "precious and energy-intensive" and is needed primarily for green steel and the decarbonization of industries such as chemicals and cement. Interested parties can read the full tweet at www.twitter.com/Herbert_Diess.

Pioneer of the precious commodity

When it comes to green hydrogen, Enapter AG, which already supplies customers in 40 countries, is considered a pioneer and was named "Technology Pioneer 2021" by the World Economic Forum for its innovative AEM electrolysis technology. Another milestone has now been set with the groundbreaking ceremony for the future mass production facility of electrolyzers to generate green hydrogen in Germany. The Enapter Campus is being built in the climate community of Saerbeck on an area of more than 80,000 square meters, which will be powered entirely by local renewable energies and create around 300 jobs.

A step-by-step production start-up is planned for the end of 2022. From 2023, a production capacity of 10,000 units per month should then be reached. Currently, the prices for production and logistics are still too high. The vision of CEO Sebastian-Justus Schmidt is to use AEM electrolysis technology to make green hydrogen significantly cheaper than diesel. Automated mass production of the electrolyzers will ensure that the cost of the devices will fall, making green hydrogen quickly competitive.

The development of the machinery required for mass production is being supported by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate with around EUR 9.36 million. "With Enapter, North Rhine-Westphalia has gained a strong partner that will drive the climate-friendly transformation of industry, support the achievement of climate protection targets and bring new jobs to the region," said Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia. By establishing mass production, Enapter is expected to become one of the mainstay companies in "green" hydrogen in Europe.

Order from the giant

There is no shortage of incoming orders at wind turbine manufacturer Nordex at the moment. Now another 50 MW order for the production of wind turbines has been received from the Netherlands. The client was none other than oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell and includes the delivery and installation of 14 N131/3600 wind turbines and a service contract to maintain and service the turbines for 15 years.

Instead of celebrating the prestigious order, investors once again pulled the ripcord. The share lost more than 4% in the course of trading and slipped again below the August low of EUR 14.72. A further test of the low for the year at EUR 13.90 is now approaching again.

The energy turnaround is faltering; renewable energies must be expanded dramatically. This is demanded not only by various associations but also by the business community. Enapter is a leader in the field of "green" hydrogen and has potential due to the start of mass production, while the signs for Nordex are currently "do not buy".