SEFE gets EU nod to gain full control of Wiga

German nationalised energy company Securing Energy for Europe GmbH (SEFE) has received EU approval to take full control of gas network operator Wiga in a move that would support Germany’s hydrogen strategy.

The planned transaction would not affect competition in view of the limited impact on the market structure, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

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SEFE said in March it will acquire the 50.02% stake in Wiga currently held by its joint venture partner Wintershall Dea AG, becoming the sole owner of the business.

Through the transaction, SEFE will gain Wiga’s subsidiaries GASCADE and NEL, which together operate gas pipelines of 4,150 km. The network plays a key role for European energy security and for the green energy transformation, SEFE believes.

“SEFE being the sole shareholder of Wiga would ensure that GASCADE can convert the existing high-performance infrastructure to hydrogen in the future. In this way, we can help drive forward the green energy transformation,” SEFE’s CEO Egbert Laege said in March.