Wintershall Dea AG has announced the sale of its 50.02% stake in WIGA Transport Beteiligungs-GmbH and Co. KG to SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH.

SEFE currently holds a 49.98% stake in WIGA and will become the sole shareholder upon completion of the transaction expected in summer 2024.

To make this possible, the German Federal Government had notified an amendment of the original approval decisions for the recapitalisation of SEFE with a view to the applicable acquisition ban. The relevant state aid approval was adopted today, Wintershall Dea stated in a press release on Tuesday.

WIGA is the sole shareholder of two German regulated gas transmission system operators – GASCADE Gastransport GmbH and NEL Gastransport GmbH. These two independent subsidiaries operate onshore gas transmission networks in Germany, with a combined length of approximately 4,150 kilometers and a direct connection to five European countries.

The transaction, subject to merger and subsidy control approval by the European Commission, would strengthen SEFE’s role for secure and reliable energy supply in Germany and Europe, as well as boosting its hydrogen expertise,

“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 green energy transformation. Transportation infrastructure is a pivotal part of the future hydrogen value chain,” said Egbert Laege, CEO of SEFE. “The two WIGA subsidiaries, GASCADE and NEL, will continue to operate independently and market their capacity in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner,” Laege added.