N.prior energy

N.prior energy GmbH was a German renewable-energy company headquartered in Leer, Lower Saxony. It was founded in 1997 by Ingo de Buhr as Prokon Nord Energiesysteme GmbH, after he left the Itzehoe-based Prokon Energiesysteme following disagreements among its shareholders. The group planned and operated onshore and offshore wind farms as well as biomass heating and refuse-derived-fuel power plants. It also manufactured wind turbines and their components and ran a bioethanol plant. The company was renamed N.prior energy in October 2010, a step taken to distinguish it from the similarly named Prokon group in Itzehoe. By 2008 it had installed 96 onshore turbines and built 13 wind farms at various sites in Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Bremerhaven, Heldrungen in Thuringia, Prenzlau in Brandenburg and the Mecklenburg Lake District. In 2001 Prokon Nord received approval for Germany's first offshore wind farm outside the 12-nautical-mile zone, "Borkum West", now known as alpha ventus. Three further offshore projects were planned: Borkum West II, MEG Offshore I and Côte d'Albâtre off Normandy. In the biomass segment, plants were realised in Emlichheim, Hamburg, Papenburg, Alkmaar in the Netherlands and Oostrozebeke in Belgium. The Papenburg and Emlichheim plants were also operated directly by N.prior energy, although the company sold its stake in the Papenburg plant in 2010. Through its subsidiary PN Bioethanol Elbewerk GmbH & Co. KG it operated a bioethanol facility in Stade, designed to produce 300,000 litres of bioethanol per day from around 270,000 tonnes of wheat per year, with bran, gluten and feed yeast as by-products for the food and feed industry. It held a 25 percent stake in Weener Energie GmbH & Co. KG, which burns material from mechanical-biological treatment of municipal and commercial waste, and its wholly owned subsidiary PN Casting Technology GmbH in Stade produced cast parts for wind turbines. Financial difficulties arose from the 2008 economic crisis, which changed lending and investment practices, from rising food prices and from delays in connecting the offshore wind farms to the electricity grid. Insolvency proceedings were opened over the assets of the subsidiary PN Biomasseheizkraftwerk Emlichheim GmbH & Co KG on 14 August 2012, and over the assets of N.prior energy GmbH itself on 1 October 2012. The company is therefore defunct.

N.prior energy GmbH was founded in 1997 in Leer by Ingo de Buhr as Prokon Nord Energiesysteme GmbH. Before founding Prokon Nord, de Buhr had been a founding partner of Prokon Energiesysteme in Itzehoe. Because the shareholders pursued different corporate goals, de Buhr left that company and shortly afterwards founded Prokon Nord in Leer, initially focused on onshore wind energy and later also on offshore wind farms, heating plants and bioethanol production. The group planned and operated onshore and offshore wind farms as well as biomass heating and refuse-derived-fuel power plants. It also manufactured wind turbines and their components and operated a bioethanol plant. By 2008 it had installed a total of 96 onshore turbines, and it built 13 wind farms at several locations in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt as well as in Bremerhaven, in Heldrungen in Thuringia, in Prenzlau in Brandenburg and in the Mecklenburg Lake District. In 2001 Prokon Nord received approval for the construction of Germany's first offshore wind farm outside the 12-nautical-mile zone, "Borkum West", which is now known as alpha ventus. Three further offshore wind farms were planned: Borkum West II and MEG Offshore I, both north of the island of Borkum, and Côte d'Albâtre, north of Normandy. In the biomass segment, plants were realised in Emlichheim, Hamburg, Papenburg, Alkmaar in the Netherlands and Oostrozebeke in Belgium. The plants in Papenburg and Emlichheim were also operated directly by N.prior energy. The company had already sold its shares in the Papenburg plant entirely in 2010; its current owner is EEV BioEnergie GmbH & Co. KG, so the plant is not affected by the insolvency of N.prior energy GmbH. Through its subsidiary PN Bioethanol Elbewerk GmbH & Co. KG, N.prior energy operated a bioethanol plant in Stade, where around 270,000 tonnes of wheat per year were to be used to produce 300,000 litres of bioethanol per day. By-products included bran, gluten and feed yeast, which are used in the food and feed industry. The group also held a 25 percent stake in Weener Energie GmbH & Co. KG in Lower Saxony, which burns material from the mechanical-biological treatment of municipal waste and commercial refuse in the order of 130,000 tonnes per year. Its wholly owned subsidiary PN Casting Technology GmbH in Stade produced cast parts for wind turbines. Financial problems arose in the corporate group from the 2008 economic crisis, with changing lending and investment practices, from the resulting rise in food prices and from delays in the electrical connection of the offshore wind farms to the power grid. In October 2010 the former Prokon Nord was renamed N.prior energy. The step was taken to distinguish it from and avoid confusion with the Prokon corporate group from Itzehoe. On 14 August 2012 the court opened insolvency proceedings over the assets of the subsidiary PN Biomasseheizkraftwerk Emlichheim GmbH & Co KG. On 1 October 2012 insolvency proceedings were opened over the assets of N.prior energy GmbH itself.

• 2012

  Insolvency proceedings opened over PN Biomasseheizkraftwerk Emlichheim on 14 August and over N.prior energy GmbH on 1 October.

• 2010

  Renamed N.prior energy in October; sold its stake in the Papenburg biomass plant.

• 2008

  Had installed a total of 96 onshore turbines; financial problems began amid the economic crisis.

• 2001

  Received approval for Germany's first offshore wind farm outside the 12-nautical-mile zone, "Borkum West" (now alpha ventus).

• 1997

  Founded in Leer by Ingo de Buhr as Prokon Nord Energiesysteme GmbH.

Renewable-energy developer and operator focused on wind, biomass and bioethanol, active in Germany and neighbouring countries until its 2012 insolvency.

• Onshore wind farms

  13 wind farms built at sites in Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Bremerhaven, Heldrungen, Prenzlau and the Mecklenburg Lake District; 96 onshore turbines installed by 2008.

• Offshore wind farms

  Approval in 2001 for "Borkum West" (alpha ventus); planned Borkum West II, MEG Offshore I and Côte d'Albâtre.

• Biomass heating plants

  Realised in Emlichheim, Hamburg, Papenburg, Alkmaar (Netherlands) and Oostrozebeke (Belgium); Papenburg and Emlichheim also operated directly.

• Bioethanol plant

  Operated in Stade via PN Bioethanol Elbewerk GmbH & Co. KG; designed for 300,000 litres per day from around 270,000 tonnes of wheat per year.

• Wind turbine castings

  Produced by wholly owned subsidiary PN Casting Technology GmbH in Stade.

1. 1N.prior energy – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2N.prior energy – Wikidatawikidata.org