About us
The Company
Kelag International pools the international activities of the Kelag Group in the business fields of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaics as well as in energy services and energy trading abroad. KELAG-Kärntner Energie-Aktiengesellschaft is one of the leading energy service providers in Austria with an investment focus on electricity generation in Carinthia. In order to exploit economic potential in neighbouring countries, the Group and its subsidiary Kelag International have been investing in the expansion of in-house generation in the three European regions of Iberia, Mediterranean and Southeast Europe since 2009. For Kelag International, the Iberian market includes Spain and Portugal. In the Mediterranean region the focus is on Italy and France. The south-east European market extends from Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina via Romania and Serbia to Montenegro, Bulgaria and Macedonia. The south-east European countries are served by the subsidiary, Interenergo, located in Ljubljana.
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN the markets of Kelag International
The expansion of renewable energy generation is clearly reflected in the organization of Kelag's business portfolio. The energy transition does not stop at national borders, which is why the expansion of this portfolio is an important contribution by Kelag International to the work on the energy transition and the sustainable safeguarding of resources for future generations. Thanks to the work of Kelag International, regions outside Austria can also rely on crisis-proof and independent energy solutions in harmony with nature.
As a company of the Kelag Group, we actively play our role as a driving force in the process of global decarbonisation and make extensive and long-term international investments in order to promote the expansion of renewable energies in a targeted manner.
The strategic orientation of Kelag International is aimed at selective growth in the business areas of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaics as well as energy services in the three focus regions of Iberia, the Mediterranean and South-East Europe.
In addition to traditional M&A, our main activities include project development, construction and managing power plant construction through to commissioning. In addition, all activities that ensure the operation of the various power plants are coordinated centrally by our colleagues at the Kelag International headquarters in Klagenfurt. With this international working environment, the headquarters also makes an important contribution to the Carinthian economic area.
Kelag International in figures
As of July 2024, Kelag International has a broadly diversified portfolio in the business areas of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaics as well as heating and energy services.
- Around 178 MW of renewable electricity is currently generated in 40 hydropower plants.
- 6 wind farms currently generate an output of around 60 MW. Another 2 are currently under construction and will increase the production of renewable energy by a further 55 MW.
- In northern Italy and France, 7 photovoltaic plants are currently connected to the grid and generate around 44 MW of electricity from solar power per year. A further 3 plants are currently under construction.
- The Kelag International team, in this particular case the subsidiary Interenergo, is also involved in the development and expansion of so-called energy services. This mainly includes LED street lighting projects and the introduction of energy-saving measures in public buildings such as schools.
In total, Kelag International's power plants ensure the supply of around 150,000 households.
The Management
Dr. Christian Schwarz
Christian Schwarz joined Kelag in 2003 and since then has held several managerial positions within the group. Being an authorized officer at Kelag since 2015, he is responsible for the group-wide Corporate Development/M&A/International Business. Since the foundation of Kelag International and the acquisition of Interenergo doo in 2009, he has served as a managing director for these companies. As of 2020, Christian Schwarz is a member of Interenergo’s supervisory board.
DI Ingo Preiss
Ingo Preiss is working for Kelag Group since 2004 and has been entrusted in project development and construction of many hydropower plants in Austria and abroad. Within Kelag, Ingo Preiss was head of power plant planning department in the Generation/Technical Services division until May 2023. Since the foundation of Kelag International in 2009, he has been significantly involved in the development of new business fields in Southeastern Europe. In April 2017, he was appointed as Managing Director of Kelag International.
DI Dr. Bernd Neuner
Bernd Neuner has worked for Kelag since 2008 and has supervised the development and expansion of international business activities from the very beginning. In particular, he has been internationally responsible for the development of the wind power business segment. He was appointed Commercial Managing Director of Kelag International in April 2017.
About the Kelag Group
KELAG-Kärntner Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft, the parent company of Kelag International, is active in the electricity and natural gas sectors throughout Austria, with a focus on Carinthia. Kelag International pools international activities in the fields of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaics and energy trading abroad.
The subsidiary KELAG Energie & Wärme GmbH is Austria’s largest provider of heat based on biomass and industrial waste heat. KNG-Kärnten Netz GmbH operates the distribution network for electricity and gas in Carinthia.
In addition to expanding the use of renewable energy sources at home and abroad, Kelag focuses on activities for sustainably improving energy efficiency. They include energy efficiency or energy management solutions such as photovoltaics, smart metering and smart homes. Kelag is also involved in the strategic development fields of e-mobility and broadband/fibre optics.
