Company History
E.ON Hungária Zrt is Hungary's leading energy provider, recognized as one of the country's ten largest companies in terms of revenue for years. Based on investments realized, E.ON AG has been the top investor in Hungary since 2006 through E.ON Energie, E.ON Hungária Zrt's majority stockholder, and through the Hungarian subsidiaries of E.ON Ruhrgas.
E.ON Hungária Zrt's electricity providers supply customers in the Transdanubian region and Eastern Hungary, while its gas providers operate in the Transdanubian region. The Group provides nearly two and a half million customers with electricity and supplies gas to over half a million customers in 15 counties. In addition, the Group operates several state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly power plants with capacities under 100 MW in the country. The company is also a significant player on the domestic heating market as the heating provider and partner of several cities, towns and companies.
E.ON Hungária's majority shareholder is the Munich-based E.ON Energie AG, Europe's largest privately owned electricity supplier, which was created via the merger of two energy companies: the Bavarian parent company Bayernwerk and the North-German PreussenElektra.
Through its legal predecessors, E.ON has been present in Hungary since 1995; since 2000, E.ON Hungária Zrt has been the owner and coordinator of E.ON's activities in Hungary under the E.ON brand, in areas including power wholesaling and services for electricity and gas end-users. When Hungary's energy sector was privatized, the company acquired stakes in three power providers, namely, the Dél-dunántúli [South-Transdanubian], Tiszántúli [East-Hungarian], and Észak-dunántúli [North-Transdanubian] electricity suppliers, as well as the Közép-dunántúli [Central Transdanubian] and Dél-dunántúli [South Transdanubian] gas suppliers.
In compliance with EU directives, and in preparation for the complete liberalization of the energy market and the ensuing competition, the E.ON Hungária Group has adjusted its activities and organizational structure to the market conditions and requirements of the future. While it continues to carry out its strategic duties, the Group has transferred certain activities to new subsidiaries that perform the operative tasks of the Group. The modernization of the corporate structure has laid down the foundation for creating more efficient services of an even higher standard. In the future, E.ON Hungária's main duty will be the further coordination of the subsidiaries' activities, and the establishment of the preconditions for high-quality service.
Historical overview:
| 2010 | Three electricity and two gas distributors of E.ON Hungária Zrt has merged into one virtual company, thereby increasing operational efficiency. |
| 2009 | E.ON Hungária Zrt represents all Hungarian E.ON companies as a platform company in foreign contacts. The Zsana Natural Gas Storage Facility has been expanded by 600 million cubic meters. |
| 2008 | The building of the Günyü Power Plant and the expansion of the Zsana Natural Gas Storage Facility are underway. |
| 2007 | In order to enable more efficient operations, and in preparation for the liberalization of the power and gas markets, E.ON Hungária Zrt remodeled its corporate structure as of February 1, 2007. E.ON Hungária Zrt has created two new subsidiaries: E.ON Ügyfélszolgálati [Customer Service] Kft and E.ON Hálózati Szolgáltató [Network Service Provider] Kft, which are licensed by the Hungarian Energy Office to provide services for all electricity and gas providers owned by E.ON Hungária Zrt. |
| 2006 | E.ON Hungária Zrt acquired another 49.92% share package in E.ON Dél-dunántúli Gázhálózati Zrt., thereby increasing its stake in the company from 50.02% to 99.94%. E.ON Hungária Zrt purchased a 50% stake in the Zagreb-based Croplin d.o.o., a holding and asset management company working in the energy industry. In July, E.ON and Gazprom signed a framework agreement regarding the exchange of assets in the sectors of gas production and trade, as well as gas and electricity sales. The agreement granted Gazprom a minority stake of 25% plus 1 share in E.ON Hungária. Gazprom’s planned acquisition of the interests in Hungary is still pending the approval of the European Commission and of the Hungarian authorities. |
| 2005 | In April, E.ON Hungária Rt acquired a majority stake in two gas suppliers where it already held interests: KÖGÁZ Rt (70.88%) and DDGÁZ Rt (50.02%). On May 3, the E.ON Hungária Group inaugurated a power plant boasting world-class, 83% efficiency and a capacity of 6 MW in Sopron. The HUF 1.2 bln investment will contribute greatly to Sopron's efficient and secure heating supply. The Municipality of Nyíregyháza and E.ON Hungária signed a long-term cooperation agreement regarding the district heating supply of the city. For this purpose, the E.ON Group has begun the construction of a power plant with world-class efficiency in Nyíregyháza, an investment valued at HUF 11 bln. The 49 MW power plant will produce a minimum of 910 TJ of heat for the city every year. The power plant will be put into operation and connected to the supply network in 2007. |
| 2004 | On January 1, 2004, E.ON Szolgáltató [Service Provider] Kft was established, whose responsibility is to manage all real estates and vehicles belonging to the E.ON Hungária Group. E.ON Hungária Rt - with the approval of the Hungarian Energy Office - acquired 49.82% of the DDGÁZ Rt share package. At their annual general meetings held in April 2004, the power supplier subsidiaries of E.ON Hungária Rt approved their new names, whereby Titász, Édász and Dédász became E.ON Tiszántúli Áramhálózati Zrt., E.ON Észak-dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt. and E.ON Dél-dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt. In order to further improve service quality in its power and gas network, E.ON Hungária enacted a capital increase with a total value of EUR 250 mln, which sum was fully spent on network developments. E.ON won the public procurement tender issued for the power supply of 13 high-voltage towing stations of MÁV [Hungarian State Railways] Rt. In October, E.ON Hungária and its three power supplier subsidiaries successfully acquired the MSZ EN ISO 9001:2001 standard certification of their quality control system. The Debrecen Gas Engine Power Plant, a holding of E.ON Hungária built through a HUF 3 bln investment, successfully began operation on October 19, and has been working at full capacity ever since. Following a public purchase offer, E.ON Hungária became the sole owner of the three electricity providers. |
| 2003 | The Group became one of Hungary's largest providers, and earned a place among the top ten companies in the country. After the liberalization of the electricity market on January 1, the Group was able to prove itself in a competitive environment for the first time. E.ON EÜT Erőműüzemeltető [Power Plant Operator] Kft began its activity at the beginning of 2003, operating the Group's power plants in a concentrated, more efficient manner. The E.ON Hungária Group, the MOL Group and the Slovakian ZSE concluded a cooperation agreement regarding the power supply of the MOL Group. |
| 2002 | On February 19, 2002, E.ON Hungária Rt acquired a majority stake in the Kecskemét-based Energo-Holding Kft. In October, the Hungarian Competition Authority approved E.ON Hungária Rt's purchase of a majority stake in E.ON Észak-dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt. After the acquisition of EDF's 27.7% share package and the closing of the public purchase offer, E.ON Hungária became the owner of 89.14% of the company's shares. In December, ÉDÁSZ, now an E.ON Hungária subsidiary, put into operation two public utility wind power plants in Mosonszolnok with capacities of 600 kW each, which produce altogether 2.4 mln kWh of energy yearly. On December 6, 2002, the Budapest Company Court formally registered E.ON Energiakereskedő [Energy Trade] Kft, a participant in the power market competition that was to begin in 2003. The company is a full subsidiary of E.ON Hungária Rt, and plays an important role in creating true competition on the electricity market deregulated for industrial consumers. Since its foundation, the company has been playing a leading role on the competitive electricity market. |
| 2001 | On August 28, the country's first public utility wind farm began its operation in Kulcs. The power plant, with a capacity of 600 kW, generates 1.2 mln kWh of power annually, enough to supply approx. 750 households. On October 31, E.ON Hungária inaugurated the country's most state-of-the-art combined cycle power plant in Debrecen (electric capacity: 95 MW; heating capacity: 95 MW). |
| 2000 | On July 13, Europe's largest privately owned electricity supply company was created via the merger of Bayernwerk AG and PreussenElektra in Germany. The new Munich-based company became E.ON Energie AG. Due to the merger, Bayernwerk Hungária Rt continued its operation under the new name E.ON Hungária from October 12. |
| 1998 | Bayernwerk Hungária Rt acquired a majority stake in E.ON Tiszántúli Áramhálózati Zrt. Shares of DÉDÁSZ, ÉDÁSZ and TITÁSZ were listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange. |
| 1997 | Bayernwerk AG founded Bayernwerk Hungária Rt, its Hungarian subsidiary and the legal predecessor of E.ON Hungária Rt. |
| 1995 | When the energy sector was privatized, the German Bayernwerk AG acquired stakes in the Dél-dunántúli [South-Transdanubian], Tiszántúli [East-Hungarian], and Észak-dunántúli [North-Transdanubian] electricity suppliers, as well as the Közép-dunántúli [Middle Transdanubian] gas supplier. |
