Annual General Meeting: Excellent annual result and investments in the energy transition
The 15th Annual General Meeting of Windkraft Simonsfeld was held at the Z2000 event center in Stockerau on 25 June 2024. A total of 281 shareholders were present or represented. They represented 128,423 shares or 35.2% of the share capital of Windkraft Simonsfeld AG.
Due to Stefan Hantsch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, falling ill at short notice, the Annual General Meeting was chaired this time - with equal aplomb - by his deputy Dieter Pfeifer.
The challenge of global warming
Markus Winter, Chief Technology Officer, and Alexander Hochauer, Chief Financial Officer, presented the results for the 2023 financial year. Markus Winter began by pointing out the challenges posed by global warming, which also had a clearly noticeable impact in 2023: "The average temperature in Austria was already 2.5 degrees above the pre-industrial level and therefore 0.5 degrees above the Paris climate target. Every additional degree has a huge impact that each of us can feel in our everyday lives. It is now time for everyone to pull together - citizens, companies and politicians - because the consistent and rapid expansion of renewable energies can make a significant contribution to the solution," says Winter.
Record production and strong project portfolio
The Windkraft Simonsfeld Group set a new record for electricity production in the reporting year: The energy transition company's 94 wind and solar power plants produced around 678 million kWh of green electricity - an increase of 9.1% compared to 2022. The production corresponds to the annual electricity requirements of 169,000 households.
The expansion of renewable energy is being consistently pursued: Three turbines will be connected to the grid in Wilfersdorf (Lower Austria) this year. In Austria alone, six wind farms are currently in the approval process, with numerous other projects in the pipeline or under development. "We want to triple our existing production with our portfolio of wind and solar power plants by 2030. Our projects are on track," says Winter.
What is missing for the accelerated expansion of renewable energies, however, are sufficient electricity grids, large-scale storage facilities and the necessary legal framework. "There is a great need for action here in order to achieve Austria's energy and climate targets," says Winter.
Excellent annual result: profit flows into energy transition
"The capital requirements for our projects are enormous and we will invest every available euro. The excellent annual result for 2023 is also the basis for this," says CFO Alexander Hochauer. In the 2023 reporting year, the Group generated annual sales of € 112.3 million and consolidated earnings after taxes amounted to € 47.0 million.
Windkraft Simonsfeld invested € 30.7 million in the construction and development of future renewable power plant projects in the reporting year. In order to achieve the company's expansion targets, the company is planning an investment volume of around € 1 billion by 2030.
In order to achieve these goals, the company has taken on numerous new employees, launched a training offensive and will put the expansion of the headquarters in Ernstbrunn into operation this year: "The expansion of the existing site is an ecological flagship project. We are creating the best possible working conditions for our employees and investing in regional jobs and value creation," says Hochauer.
Living responsibility - 360° sustainable
"In order to preserve a world worth living in for future generations, we often go one step further: we work consistently and sustainably for a successful energy transition and support our partners with handshake quality, heart and brain," says Hochauer.
Dividend increase to € 14 resolved
Due to the successful financial year, the Executive Board and Supervisory Board proposed a resolution to distribute a dividend of € 14 per share. The proposal was approved almost unanimously and the payment will be made on 10 July 2024. All other proposed resolutions on the agenda were adopted without dissenting votes.
The event ended with a culinary get-together for all participants.
The results in detail:
| Agenda item | Consent | Rejection |
TOP 2: Appropriation of retained earnings |
99,97 % | 0,03 % |
TOP 3: Discharge of the Executive Board |
100,00 % | 0,00 % |
TOP 4: Ratification of the actions of the Supervisory Board |
100,00 % | 0,00 % |
TOP 5: Election of the auditor |
100,00 % | 0,00 % |
TOP 6: Acquisition of treasury shares for employee participation |
100,00 % | 0,00 % |
Our team at the Annual General Meeting