• On 29 January 2002 the contract of the privatisation of Transgas, a.s. and regional gas distribution companies was signed between the CR’s government and RWE Gas AG

This year, RWE celebrates the 10th anniversary of its entry into the Czech market. RWE became known to the public in 2002 after buying a majority share in the joint-stock company Transgas and shares in gas distribution companies from the National Property Fund of the CR at EUR 4.1 bn. It has created a strong energy company from these companies over the following years; it supplies natural gas and electricity to more than two million customers in the local market nowadays. RWE belongs to the biggest European energy group. It accomplished is the biggest privatisation project in the Czech Republic since 1989.

“When I participated, more than ten year ago, in the preparation of the privatisation of the Czech gas industry, the RWE brand was hardly known here. Nine of ten inhabitants know this brand nowadays. It has become a byword for reliability and partnership. This is a favourable and, at the same time, a binding result for us,” says Martin Herrmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RWE Transgas. “The last decade saw dramatic changes in the energy market. The changes are visible even in the range of products and services offered,” said Herrmann.

Though the RWE energy group bought shares in the Czech gas companies already in 2002, it was brought to public notice only in 2005 after it started acting under a single brand – RWE. In 2010, the company vigorously entered also the local power market to service over 140,000 customers at present. RWE is the Europe’s third largest power-generating company. It supplies electricity and natural gas to 16 and 8 million customers, respectively.

Martin Chalupský
RWE Transgas Spokesperson
T 267 974 464, F 267 976 971, E martin.chalupsky@rwe.cz

RWE is an international energy group that manages its business activities in the Czech Republic through RWE Transgas, which is responsible for import, transit, and wholesale distribution of natural gas. RWE supplies natural gas and electricity to more than 2 million end customers through regional companies that include RWE Energie, Jihomoravská plynárenská, Severomoravská plynárenská, and Východočeská plynárenská. The RWE CZ Group comprises 17 companies in the Czech Republic.