60 years of experience in the energy industry

BALANCE Erneuerbare Energien GmbH acquired the biogas portfolio of Nordstrom AG, including a total of 10 biogas plants at eight locations in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. With the new biogas plant portfolio, BALANCE increased its capacity by about one third and consistently pursued its growth strategy in the field of green gases.

The first private venture capital fund (VC fund) in the eastern states of Germany was launched. The main focus of the new fund is the innovative growth topic of smart infrastructure. The fund invests mainly in start-ups with scalable business models in the fields of Smart city, energy and E-health. Together with SAB, VNG AG is an anchor investor in the VC fund.

VNG ViertelEnergie GmbH won the energy efficiency award announced by the Federal Ministries of the Environment and Construction. Within the framework of an idea competition for climate-friendly buildings, the concept “Green districts, happy inhabitants” convinced the jury. The main focus of the idea is on reinforcing climate protection by refurbishing buildings for greater energy efficiency and growing plants on buildings.

Together with other investors, VNG Innovation GmbH stepped up its stake in the Berlin start-up akvola. The company had developed a process for the energy-efficient, cost-effective treatment of polluted wastewater for use especially in the oil and gas industry.

On the occasion of VNG’s 60th anniversary, a new brand presentation was launched on September 20, 2018 in connection with the renaming of the company "VNG – Verbundnetz Gas Aktiengesellschaft" as "VNG AG". The two brands “Verbundnetz Gas AG” and “VNG Group” were combined to form a new umbrella brand “VNG”, which stands both for VNG AG as the parent company and for the entire VNG Group.

With retroactive effect from January 1, 2018, VNG AG signed in Oslo an agreement to transfer all its shares in VNG Norge AS to Neptune Energy Norge AS. The transaction was to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2018.

At the December meeting of the VNG Supervisory Board, a final investment decision for “Fenja” was taken. This decision was then submitted to the competent Norwegian authorities for approval.

The underground storage facility “Katharina“ in Peißen near the town of Bernburg (Salzland district) in Saxony-Anhalt was officially inaugurated on May 23, 2017. The storage capacity of the facility is adequate to supply gas to 300,000 households for a year.

Oil and natural gas production from the Ivar Aasen field in the Norwegian North Sea started in December 2016. VNG-Norge held a share of 3 % in the field.

VNG Innovation GmbH started to provide financial support and entrepreneurial know-how for the start-up Cloud & Heat Technologies GmbH. At its Dresden location, the company develops individual computer centre solutions and cloud infrastructures. The waste heat of the servers is used to heat buildings and to produce hot water.

VNG Innovation GmbH started to provide support for Akvola Technologies in August 2016. This is a hydrogen technology company offering cost-effective and environmentally compatible solutions based on akvoFloat – a proprietary flotation-filtration process.

On April 20, 2016, the energy companies EWE AG (Oldenburg) and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (Karlsruhe) as well as Ems-Weser-Elbe Versorgungs- und Entsorgungsverband (Oldenburg) completed a fundamental restructuring of their shareholdings. Following the restructuring, EnBW held 74.2 percent of the shares in VNG – Verbundnetz Gas Aktiengesellschaft.

With effect from January 5, 2016, goldgas SL GmbH was renamed goldgas GmbH. On January 26, 2016, goldgas GmbH acquired all the shares in Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail Germany GmbH, Walluf. This acquisition added about 60,000 power customers to the goldgas portfolio.

As of the end of 2015, VNG Norge AS held shares in 42 production licences (including six as operator) on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Exploration wells drilled in 2015 were extremely successful. The well drilled in the Pil prospect, a plateau in License PL 586, found large reserves of oil. The find was one of the largest in Norway in 2015. A few months later, a second well, in the Bue prospect, also struck oil.

On November 10, 2015, the Supervisory Board elected Ulf Heitmüller as its Chairman.

VNG – Verbundnetz Gas AG was one of the first companies in the energy sector to complete the certification of its information security system in accordance with the new standard ISO/IEC 27001:2013. During a special audit, VNG was able to demonstrate to the certification body TÜV NORD CERT GmbH that it had completed the adaptations required for compliance with the new standard.

The first soccer tournament for the VNG AG ERDGAS Pokal was held on September 19, 2015. 20 teams from customers and partners of AG as well as other companies from the region put their skills to the test in a fair and sporting competition.

VNG Innovation GmbH was established to make use of the long-standing experience and resources of the VNG Group with a view to creating a platform for innovative ideas and value addition. The main focus was on cooperation partners with expertise in the energy industry.

From June 23, 2015 onwards, VNG Norge continued its exploration activities in the Boomerang prospect. Several exploration wells were drilled in production license PL 586 using the “Transocean Arctic”. A significant find on PL 586 had already been made in 2014 with the Pil & Bue fields.

VNG Norge was honoured with the Gullkronen Award as “Explorer of the Year” on 4 February 2015 in Oslo.

With immediate effect our customers and trading partners can now visit a new homepage at www.vng.de where they will find our centrally integrated VNG Business Portal providing essential online access to information about our products and services.

VNG AG signed a new syndicated loan worth 1.3 billion Euro with the support of 14 banks. The parties agree a term of 5 years for the new loan.

ONTRAS sets up INFRACON Infrastruktur Service GmbH & Co. KG (INFRACON) in response to the growing importance of and demand for network-related, unregulated services business.

A new CNG filling station opened on Leipzig's Torgauer Strasse. This new facility takes the number of natural gas filling pumps in Leipzig up to seven. VNG-Erdgastankstellen GmbH now operates a total of ten CNG filling stations in Eastern Germany.

Dr. Heiko Sanders, Member of the Board of Management of EWE AG, is elected as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VNG AG on June 11, 2014.

On June 19, 2014, VNG Norge intensifies its activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf by acquiring a stake of 7.56 percent in the producing Draugen field.

Within the framework of the APA 2013 government licensing round, VNG Norge was offered another six production licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

From January 17, 2014, VNG Norge performs the role of operator for an exploration well on the Pil prospect in the southern Halten Province.

On February 7, 2013, VNG Gastransport received the Federal Network Agency’s decision on certification pursuant to Sec. 4a of the Energy Industry Act: ONTRAS now holds its certification as an independent transmission system operator.

Production from the Hyme field, in which VNG Norge holds a 2.5% stake, started on February 25.

On March 28, 2013, the anti-trust authorities approved VNG’s acquisition of the goldgas Group. With this transaction, VNG has rounded off its core business along the value added chain.

Since 1 March, ONTRAS - VNG Gastransport GmbH has been an independent TSO to comply with the requirements of the German Energy Industry Law (EnWG). The de-merger of the Transport Division was completed to schedule.

The Storage Division was also spun-off according to plan, with ownership of the gas storage facilities passing to the independent subsidiary VNG Gasspeicher GmbH with effect from 2 January.

Under the scientific and technical cooperation between VNG and OAO Gazprom, the ejector unit at the Bernburg underground storage facility is officially commissioned on June 21, 2011 following successful trial operation. 

VNG Energie Czech and Energie Bohemia merge on November 1, 2010. All employees who formerly worked for Energie Bohemia are transferred to what used to be the holding company, which now assumes responsibility for gas wholesaling.

The first Berlin-based refuelling station of VNG-Erdgastankstellen GmbH begins its trial operation at Chausseestraße 61. A 20% blend of climate-neutral biomethane is available to environmentally-aware drivers at all VNG refuelling stations. 

VNG purchases a section of the Berlin Wall signed by Helmut Kohl, George Bush senior and Mikhail Gorbachev on the occasion of the ZDF TV channel’s “Ein Herz für Kinder” charity gala. This unique specimen is to set out on an educational journey through Germany and Europe called “Mauerfälle” (breaking down walls) as part of the VNG initiative “Verbundnetz für Demokratie und Toleranz” (network for democracy and tolerance). 

VNG and OOO Gazprom Export set up the Erdgasspeicher Peissen GmbH joint venture. A working gas volume of almost 600 million m³ will be available following a 15-year investment period. The facility is located in a salt cavern formation in Peißen near Bernburg. The new underground storage facility goes by the name of “Katharina”. 

VNG founds its wholly-owned subsidiary VNG Italia S.r.l. registered in Bologna (VNG Italia) at the end of 2008. 

One year after it had been founded VNG Norge acquires the first four production licenses and begins exploring for natural gas in a designated block on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. 

As part of the Petersburg Dialog in Dresden, TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the St. Petersburg State Mining Institute sign a memorandum to establish a permanent German-Russian raw material forum in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

VNG establishes ONTRAS VNG Gastransport GmbH, or ONTRAS for short, on January 1 in order to comply with stipulations of the Energy Industry Act to fully unbundle gas trading and gas transport activities. 

Ruhrgas is taken over by E.ON AG on 1 February 2003. Düsseldorf-based E.ON moves up to become the world’s largest private energy provider. Conditions imposed by the German Economics Ministry require the merger of these two companies to liberate a total of 42.1 % of shares in VNG.

After two and a half years of thorough preparation by all VNG divisions, TÜV Süddeutschland certifies the process-oriented Integrated Quality Management system (IQM). The system’s Quality, Safety and Environmental Management modules give VNG a pioneering role in the energy industry.

The new Gas Control Centre – the heart of the new headquarters occupied in March – commences operations at 18.00 on 9 May, giving VNG one of the most modern dispatching centres in the whole of Europe.

An impressive ceremony in Leipzig attended by the President of the Bundestag Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth celebrates the beginning of Norwegian natural gas deliveries. 

VNG signs a 20-year contract with Wintershall Erdgas Handelshaus GmbH (WIEH) of Berlin for Russian natural gas supplies, so ensuring the diversification of gas sourcing for the long term.

The two underground storage caverns at Ketzin and Kirchheiligen – the very first town gas storage facilities – are converted to natural gas.

In a first step, Treuhandgesellschaft sells 45 % of the shares to Ruhrgas AG Essen (35 percent) and BEB Brigitta Erdgas und Erdöl GmbH Hannover (10 percent). Subscribed capital amounts to DM 540 million. All shares are registered shares. 

VEB Verbundnetz Gas is completely separated from the “Schwarze Pumpe” gas combine, thus securing the independence of VEB Verbundnetz Gas. 

“Urengoi agreement” – under this natural gas delivery agreement between the governments of the USSR and the GDR, the USSR gives a commitment for the reliable and long-term delivery of an annual 0.7 billion cubic metres. In return, the German signatory undertakes to lay natural gas pipelines, build compressor stations and provide equipment in USSR territory. 

The GDR receives its first Russian natural gas. Imports rise from 2.7 billion cubic metres per year (1974) to 6.5 billion cubic metres per year (1989). The gas is taken by VEB Verbundnetz Gas at Uzgorod/ Velke Kapusany on the Ukraine/Slovakian border. The gas is transported through former Czechoslovakia to Sayda under long-term transit agreements; at Sayda it is compressed and fed into the Import-Erdgas-(IEG)-System (pipeline system). 

The gas division of VEB Verbundnetz Berlin becomes an independent unit called VEB Verbundnetz Gas. 

VEB Verbundnetz Ost, Verbundnetz West and Verbundnetz Mitte are combined to form VEB Verbundnetz Berlin. “Technische Leitung Ferngas” becomes the gas division of this unit.