Major European Energy Hub

Wind power, crude oil, coal and nuclear power – the whole dynamics of the energy market are reflected here in the JadeBay Region. This is the location of Germany's principal port for crude oil imports. It's also here that companies produce for off-shore wind parks. This location is not at the end of all roads, pipelines and routes, but at the beginning. Take, for example, the NWO Nord-West Ölleitung GmbH. More than 900 million tons of crude oil and products have been transhipped here on the unloading pier in Wilhelmshaven since 1958. This is the location from which not only the European market, but also – and above all – overseas markets are served.

IVG Immobilien AG and its subsidiary IVG Caverns GmbH also gladly use the location advantages of the region for their caverns for the storage of crude oil and natural gas and for their operation and leasing in Etzel, situated around 20 kilometres southwest of Wilhelmshaven in the municipality of Friedeburg. (Brochure: Cavern Storage Etzel)

With its enormous salt deposit Etzel proved to be an ideal site due to its location near the coast and the existing pipelines. Since cavern operations started in 1971 Etzel has become one of the largest underground storage facilities in the world – integrated in the North European pipeline network for oil and gas.

Details about the cavern development can be found online at www.kavernen-informationszentrum-etzel.de or directly on site at the IVG-Infobox.

The JadeBay Region is also one of the front runners where renewable energy is concerned. One of the leading manufacturers of rotor blades for wind turbines in Europe – SGL Rotec – has its production facilities in the Wesermarsch. Its products are also transported via waterways. Moving outwards to the sea, we have the off-shore wind parks which are emerging off the North Sea coast. The Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH (NSW) in the Wesermarsch area has exclusively provided and laid cables for the wind turbines in the "alpha ventus" pilot project. Based in Varel (Friesland), the company innoVent GmbH is bringing a breath of fresh air to the world. With its group of companies, it has already constructed a total of 16 wind parks with a sum total of 423 MW, among them, wind parks in China, Taiwan and Turkey. Another globally-operating company also based in Varel is Deutsche Windguard GmbH. As a service-providing company, it offers its customers numerous solutions in the area of wind energy and was also involved, for example, in the "alpha ventus" pilot project in an advisory capacity.

However, to be precise, not only individual areas, but the entire region is totally "high powered". E.ON operates a 756 MW coal-fired power station in Wilhelmshaven which also obtains its coal supplies directly by ship. Good news travels fast: now everyone wants to follow suit. In the direct vicinity, the energy group GDF Suez is currently building one of the most state-of-the-art coal-fired power stations in Europe. It's a multimillion project and the power station has a capacity of 800 MW. But the largest producer of electricity remains the E.ON Unterweser Power Station in the Wesermarsch area, boasting a net capacity of 1,345 MW.