FILE PHOTO: Wind turbines are pictured in RWE Offshore-Windpark Nordsee Ost in the North sea, 30 km from Helgoland, Germany, May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Christian Charisius/Pool/File Photo FRANKFURT (Reuters) - RWE (RWEG.DE), which will become Europe’s No.3 renewable player as part of a deal to break up subsidiary Innogy (IGY.DE) with E.ON (EONGn.DE), has about 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) per year to expand solar and wind capacity, it said on Thursday. As part of the landmark transaction announced last year, RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, will receive the renewable units of both E.ON and Innogy, resulting in a joint renewable capacity of 8.6 gigawatt (GW). “We are creating a globally leading renewables business and want to expand it further,” RWE Chief Financial Officer Markus Krebber said. “We will achieve that with a diversified renewable technology portfolio and an integrated value chain.” Italy’s Enel (ENEI.MI) and Spain’s Iberdrola (IBE.MC), which have larger renewable portfolios, have earmarked annual green investments of 3.9 billion euros and 2.3 billion, respectively, according to their most recent spending plans. RWE also said that Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, who is currently heading E.ON’s renewables business, would lead the combined business under RWE’s roof in the future. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. Reporting by Christoph Steitz; editing by Thomas Seythal and Michelle Martin
German energy corporation RWE has earmarked $1.7bn per year for the growth of its solar and wind capacity. The company is in line to absorb the renewables operations of EON and Innogy in a transaction expected to be completed by the end of the year, which will lead to RWE becoming Europe’s third-largest renewables operator.