PreussenElektra (''Preußische Elektrizitäts AG'') was a German electric company that existed from 1927 to 2000. From its founding until around 1970, it was owned (directly or indirectly) by the Republic of

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

and the Federal Republic of Germany. From 1929 until 2000, it was a subsidiary of VEBA. In 2000, it was merged to create E.ON. During its existence, it was the

electric utility An electric utility, or a power company, is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. Electric utilities are ...

for

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, and parts of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

and

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

. In 2016, the nuclear energy company of E.ON was renamed PreussenElektra GmbH.

Early years

PreussenElektra was established in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in 1927 when electricity suppliers ''Grosskraftwerk Hannover AG'', ''Preussische Kraftwerke Oberweser AG'', and ''Gewerkschaft Grosskraftwerk Main-Weser'' merged to form PreussenElektra. It operated two

thermal power station A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...

s, Borken in

and Ahlem in

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

, and eight

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

stations. The company was to oversee the electricity interests of the

n state. The Prussian state also owned the ''Nordwestdeutsche Kraftwerke AG'' (NWK), which merged with PreussenElektra in 1985, Ostpreussenwerke AG and the Überlandwerke and Strassenbahnen Hannover AG. Since 1929, PreussenElektra was owned by VEBA holding company. In 1928–1931, in partnership with municipalities, PreussenElektra founded several regional electricity suppliers. These included ''Schleswig-Holsteinische Stromversorgungs-AG'' (now: Schleswig-Holstein Netz AG), ''Stromsversorgungs-AG Oldenburg-Friedland'' (now: EWE AG), ''Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft Mitteldeutschland'' (now: EAM GmbH & Co. KG), and ''Hannover-Braunschweigische Stromversorgungs-AG'' (now part of Avacon). PreussenElektra also acquired stakes in ''Braunschweigische Kohlen-Bergwerke AG'', ''Westpreussische Überlandwerke Marienwerder GmbH'', and ''Thüringer Gasgesellschaft'' (Thüga AG).

Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

In 1937, the annual electricity output of PreussenElektra exceeded 1 TWh. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the German electricity industry was targeted by Allied bombers. As a result, the construction of the hard coal station in Lahde was disrupted. After the war, PreussenElektra's assets in

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

came under state control and the headquarters of PreussenElektra were moved from Berlin to

in 1947.

Nuclear power

In 1957 PreussenElektra and NWK, together with other electricity utilities, founded a nuclear energy research company ''Studiengesellschaft für Kernkrafte GmbH''.

Scandinavian connections

During the early 1960s NWK began its cooperation with electric utilities from neighboring countries. In 1961–1962, NWK together with the Danish utility ''Det Jyskfynske Elsamarbedje'' (ELSAM; now part of Energinet) completed the 220 kV link from

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish language, Danish and ; ; ) is an independent city, independent town in the far north of the Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After Kiel and Lübeck, it is the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg's ...

to Aabenraa in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. Later

Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...

, ELSAM and NWK built the Konti-Skan link from

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...

. This link, which was to be jointly managed, went into operation in 1964.

Integration with East Germany

According to the German Electricity Agreement of August 22, 1990, PreussenElektra and RWE got 35% each and Bayernwerk 30% of the East-German holding company, which had subsidiaries ''Vereinigte Kraftwerks AG Peitz'' and ''Verbundnetz Elektroenergie AG''. In 1991 these two companies were merged to form ''Vereinigte Energiewerke AG'' (VEAG). After the merger of VEBA, the parent company of PreussenElektra, and VIAG, the owner of Bayernwerk, in 2000, PreussenElektra merged with Bayernwerk to form E.ON Energie, a subsidiary of E.ON. At the same time VEAG was sold to Hamburgische Elektricitäts-Werke AG (HEW), now 50Hertz Transmission GmbH. In 1999, PreussenElektra acquired ''N.V. Electriciteitsbedrijf Zuid-Holland'' (EZH), a regional utility in the Netherlands.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Electric power companies of Germany Defunct energy companies of Germany E.ON Technology companies disestablished in 2000 1927 establishments in Germany Energy companies disestablished in 2000 German companies disestablished in 2000 German companies established in 1927