The energy group RWE does not want to recoup the increased costs for the purchase of gas from customers via the planned gas surcharge.

“RWE is a financially strong and robust company.

We are therefore considering refraining from claiming our losses from the gas replacement procurement for this surcharge for the time being," said CEO Markus Krebber in a conference call on Thursday.

Krebber was initially unable to quantify how high these costs will be for the Dax group, because the amount depends on how much gas is still being delivered.

Jonas Jansen

Business correspondent in Düsseldorf.

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In order to protect itself against a possible delivery failure, the company concluded contracts from other sources – and at significantly higher prices.

The surcharge, which is to apply to all gas consumers from October, is intended to support companies that have run into difficulties due to the lack of gas deliveries from Russia.

RWE purchases comparatively little gas from Russia.

The company's storage facilities are currently 85 percent full.

The company assumes that it will independently reach the statutory minimum filling level of 95 percent by November 1st.

Energy company earns brilliantly

In the first quarter, the Essen-based energy giant also wrote off 750 million euros on the purchase of Russian coal; the loss was caused by the British sanctions on Russian coal.

Despite the additional burden, RWE is now earning a great deal, which is due to several factors: due to good wind conditions and good figures in the solar business, the energy company is earning significantly more with its renewable energies than a year ago.

The company was also able to grow in energy trading.

As RWE announced on Thursday, the group wants to invest more than 5 billion euros in the expansion of its green portfolio, which is around 30 percent more than originally planned.

"If RWE makes good money, the green energy world wins," said Krebber.

The company confirmed its preliminary half-year figures.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) in the core business rose to EUR 2.36 billion after EUR 1.2 billion in the same period last year.

Net worth at the end of June was 1.9 billion euros, down from 360 million at the end of last year.

RWE had already raised its forecast sharply and now expects an adjusted operating result of 5 to 5.5 billion euros instead of 3.6 to 4 billion euros.

This is also due to the fact that electricity production helps the company because of the extraordinarily high prices.

The annual result should be 1.1 billion euros after the company had previously assumed 800 million euros.

"Our systems are needed," said Krebber.

Three coal-fired power plants are restarted

This also applies to the remaining nuclear reactor and the group's coal-fired power plants.

RWE expects a result there as previously planned, because it has sold forward production at low prices in recent years.

Nevertheless, from October onwards, RWE will bring three lignite-fired power plants back online for a limited period.

“But that will not lead to a renaissance of fossil fuels.

For RWE, it's clear: we stand by the coal phase-out," said Krebber.

With an adjusted EBITDA of 501 million euros, the coal/nuclear energy segment was below the previous year, mainly because RWE produced less due to power plant closures.

For the year as a whole, the Essen-based company is also expecting a decline in earnings between 650 and 700 million euros.

On Thursday, Krebber was not yet able to say exactly what the effects of restarting the three lignite-fired power plants would be.

The ramp-up will result in additional maintenance costs as well as operational costs and higher costs for CO2 certificates.

“What can be generated with it is not in our control.

From our point of view, it will not be about relevant amounts, ”said Krebber.

The RWE CEO did not want to comment on the discussion about extending the service life of nuclear power plants, as that was a matter for politics.

In close coordination with politicians, the energy company is still on the planned LNG terminals.

"In order to strengthen the energy supply, we need additional infrastructure, which is at the limit," said Krebber.