SEFE Energy

SEFE Energy is a natural-gas supply and distribution business headquartered in Kassel, Germany, and operating as a subsidiary of Securing Energy for Europe. The business is associated with the former Wingas organization, which was created in 1993 as a joint venture between BASF subsidiary Wintershall and Gazprom. Its historical development reflects the changing ownership and structure of European gas companies: Wintershall initially held a narrow majority, while Gazprom held the remaining shares, before an asset exchange agreed in 2013 and completed in 2015 transferred full ownership of Wingas to Gazprom. Following the reorganization of the former Gazprom-linked European energy activities under Securing Energy for Europe, the business operates under the SEFE Energy name. The company supplies and distributes natural gas across a broad European footprint. Its stated operating markets include Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Germany is its principal market, where the reference material attributes to the business an approximately 20% market share. SEFE Energy's activities are primarily focused on gas procurement, wholesale and commercial supply, distribution-related services, and participation in the wider gas infrastructure system rather than on consumer-facing energy products across multiple fuel categories. The business has also been connected with gas-storage operations conducted through associated entities. Astora GmbH & Co. KG operates the Rehden natural-gas storage facility in northern Germany, described in the reference material as Western Europe's largest natural-gas storage site, with a working-gas volume of approximately 4.4 billion cubic metres. The same material identifies Rehden as representing roughly one-fifth of Germany's total storage capacity. Astora also operates the Haidach storage facility, whose capacity is given as approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres. In the United Kingdom, the former Wingas organization acquired the Saltfleetby gas field in 2004; the site was subsequently used for gas storage and operated by Wingas Storage UK. In addition to gas-related activities, the historical Wingas organization leased unused transmission capacity in fibre-optic cables to commercial customers. This indicates that the wider business portfolio has at times included infrastructure-related telecommunications capacity alongside energy supply and storage. The current brand positioning is best understood as that of a large-scale European gas supplier and infrastructure-linked energy company within the SEFE group. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate founding date, named founder, current executive roster, stock-market listing or official website for the SEFE Energy brand itself.

SEFE Energy's history is rooted in Wingas, a gas business established in 1993 by Wintershall, the oil and gas subsidiary of BASF, together with Gazprom. The original ownership structure gave Wintershall 50% plus one share and Gazprom 50% minus one share. This arrangement placed the company within a German-Russian industrial partnership and supported the development of a business focused on natural-gas supply, trading and related infrastructure in Europe. A major ownership change was agreed in December 2013, when Wintershall and Gazprom reached an asset-exchange agreement that made Wingas a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom. The transfer was not completed immediately: BASF and Gazprom finalized the exchange of assets by 30 September 2015. After the transaction, Wingas formed part of Gazprom's European gas activities and continued to operate across several national markets. The business expanded beyond gas sales into infrastructure-linked activities. Its associated storage operations included the Rehden facility in northern Germany, operated by Astora GmbH & Co. KG. Rehden was described as Western Europe's largest natural-gas storage facility, with working capacity of around 4.4 billion cubic metres and a role equivalent to approximately one-fifth of Germany's overall gas-storage capacity. Astora also operated the Haidach storage facility, with a cited capacity of approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres. In the United Kingdom, Wingas purchased the Saltfleetby gas field in 2004. The field was subsequently used for gas storage by Wingas Storage UK. The former Wingas organization also leased available transmission capacity in fibre-optic cables to commercial customers, adding an infrastructure service outside its core gas-supply business. Its operating presence extended across Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Germany remained its central market, with the reference material attributing an approximately 20% market share to the business. The company's later identity is connected with the restructuring of the former Gazprom-linked European gas operations under Securing Energy for Europe. SEFE Energy is therefore the current brand subject for a business whose corporate history began as Wingas and whose activities remain centered on gas supply, distribution and associated storage infrastructure. The supplied reference material does not provide a distinct incorporation date for the SEFE Energy brand, a separate founder, current leadership information or a documented standalone website.

• 2015

  Gazprom becomes sole owner of Wingas

  [1]SEFE Energyen.wikipedia.org

  BASF and Gazprom complete the asset exchange by 30 September 2015, resulting in full Gazprom ownership of Wingas.

• 2013

  Asset-exchange agreement changes ownership path

  [1]SEFE Energyen.wikipedia.org

  Wintershall and Gazprom agree an asset exchange intended to make Wingas wholly owned by Gazprom.

• 2004

  Saltfleetby gas field acquired

  [1]SEFE Energyen.wikipedia.org

  Wingas acquires the Saltfleetby gas field in the United Kingdom, which is later used for gas storage through Wingas Storage UK.

• 1993

  Wingas is established

  [1]SEFE Energyen.wikipedia.org

  Wintershall, a BASF subsidiary, and Gazprom establish Wingas as a natural-gas business.

A European natural-gas supplier and distribution business with links to wholesale trading, storage infrastructure and commercial energy services.

• Energy supply

  Natural gas supply

  SEFE Energy's core activity is the supply of natural gas to commercial and other customers across Germany and several European markets. The business is part of a wider gas-supply and trading structure rather than a consumer-products brand with a broad range of unrelated energy offerings.

• Gas distribution and wholesale

  Natural gas distribution and trading

  The company is described as a gas distribution business with wholesale and trading-related activities. Its operations span Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, with Germany identified as its principal market.

• Energy infrastructure

  Gas storage

  Storage-related activities connected with the business include the Rehden facility in northern Germany and the Haidach facility. Rehden is described as having approximately 4.4 billion cubic metres of working-gas volume, while Haidach is cited with capacity of approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres.

• Infrastructure services

  Fibre-optic transmission capacity leasing

  The historical Wingas organization leased unused transmission capacity in fibre-optic cables to commercial customers. This was an ancillary infrastructure service alongside the company's principal gas activities.

1. 1SEFE Energyen.wikipedia.org