Hamburg, May 21, 2024—Luana AG and the RENAIO Group are pooling their expertise in sustainable energy systems. The first joint project is a hydropower plant in Gorizia, Italy.

Hamburg-based Luana AG and the Augsburg-based RENAIO Group have launched a cooperation in the field of sustainable power generation, with a focus on photovoltaics and small and medium-sized hydropower plants. With this cooperation, the two companies are pooling their respective strengths in the development, financing and operation of such energy systems.

Luana AG is an expert in the development, planning, construction, and operation of plants for ecological energy supply, particularly in the field of photovoltaics. In the field of hydropower, RENAIO GmbH is a leading expert in both the operation and optimization of plants. With its infrastructure fund, it offers institutional investors access to Europe-wide infrastructure investments in hydropower plants.

As part of the cooperation that has been launched, the two companies will be jointly implementing energy projects across Europe in future, while at the same time opening up access to new markets for both partners via their respective networks. As a result, both cooperation partners will benefit from new growth opportunities within the European energy transformation.

The first joint project planned is the construction of a new run-of-river power plant in Gorizia, Italy, for which the technical planning and implementation as well as project management and financing will be shared between the two cooperation partners. The plant will use a Kaplan turbine with an installed capacity of 1.2 MW and a flow rate of around 30 m³/s, which is expected to generate around 8 million kWh per year. An identical plant was already developed and built five years ago by RENAIO’s lead hydropower architect, so that the experience gained from this earlier project can now be incorporated into the new construction in Gorizia.

“As Luana, we started with photovoltaic projects in Italy in 2008 and know the market in the country very well. The project in Gorizia is therefore the ideal starting point for our cooperation with RENAIO,” says Marcus Florek, CEO of Luana AG. “By working together, we can combine our respective strengths and benefit from our networks.”

“Through the cooperation with Luana AG and the first joint project, we are now expanding our product portfolio to include the project development of hydropower plants,” says Andreas Grassl, Managing Director of RENAIO GmbH. “The exchange of know-how and experience between the companies gives us a competitive advantage through new ideas and innovations. A joint presence on the Italian market also strengthens our position against competitors.”◼