Aggreko Agrees to Acquire Battery Storage Energy Provider Younicos

Aggreko has agreed to acquire Younicos, a global market leader in the development and deployment of integrated energy systems based on battery storage, for £40 million in cash. The acquisition strengthens Aggreko’s position as global energy markets continue to evolve and is in line with the company’s strategy to invest in technology in order to reduce the cost of energy for its customers. Younicos delivers smart energy solutions integrating battery storage, which are modular and scalable.

Younicos has invested heavily in research and development since it was founded in 2005. The company is based in Germany and the United States and has more than 200 MW of installed storage systems, with a strong pipeline across both developed and emerging markets. CEO Stephen Prince will report directly to Chris Weston, Aggreko chief executive. For the calendar year 2016, Younicos had revenues of £7 million and made an operating loss of £15 million. Gross assets at the end of 2016 were £20 million.

Younicos’ knowledge of batteries combined with proprietary control systems enables the integration and management of all forms of power, including thermal, renewable and battery energy resources. This is becoming critical in an increasingly distributed energy market, said Aggreko. Global energy markets are decarbonizing and becoming more decentralized and digital. As renewables penetration increases, intermittency becomes a more difficult issue to manage across grid systems. Integration and control of thermal, renewable and battery systems will be increasingly required to ensure power stability and reliability are maintained.

Off grid and microgrid energy solutions are ever more integrating renewable generation, Aggreko said, while industrial and commercial customers are also taking advantage of opportunities for renewable integration and demand-side management.

The capabilities brought by Younicos, leveraged through Aggreko’s global footprint and experience in distributed power generation, are compelling, Aggreko said. The Younicos integration and control systems, combined with batteries, can be deployed across Aggreko’s existing business to lower the cost of energy, ensure reliability and reduce carbon emissions for its customers.

“As energy markets continue to decarbonize, decentralize and become more digital, the integration and control of multiple energy sources, including thermal and renewable, will be essential to ensure the provision of reliable power,” said Weston. “As a pioneer of smart energy solutions based on battery storage, Younicos is at the forefront of this trend. Together we are a powerful combination; our scale, fleet and global presence, coupled with a smart energy capability, will allow us to open up new markets and provide our customers around the world with a reliable, cheaper and cleaner source of energy.”

“We are delighted to be joining with a market leading power provider in Aggreko,” said Prince. “Batteries are an economically attractive and reliable asset which will play an increasing role as we transition from today’s energy market to the energy market of the future. Integration and management of multiple distributed energy sources will be necessary to optimize energy systems and deliver customers with greater stability at a lower economic and environmental cost.”