Bavaria plans to expropriate Uniper hydropower plants against German government’s wishes
Bavaria is legally entitled to expropriate the hydropower plants of energy group Uniper located within its territory. The federal state plans to exercise this right in 2030, even against the wishes of Uniper and the German government. The move would affect more than 85 plants.
Bavaria wants to expropriate the hydropower plants owned by energy group Uniper in the medium to long term. Minister-President Markus Söder announced in Munich that the Free State would exercise its right to take over Uniper’s hydropower plants on Bavarian rivers from 2030. Söder stressed that this could happen even against the wishes of the company and its owner, the federal government.
"The principle must increasingly apply: domestic energy in domestic hands," Söder said.
The German state acquired a 99% stake in Uniper at the end of 2022 as part of a bailout of the company, which ran into difficulties as a result of the energy crisis. The German government now wants to relist the company, which has returned to profitability and has a strong focus on renewable energy.
The company’s shares are owned by the Federal Ministry of Finance, which is led by the FDP. Söder’s coalition of the CSU and Free Voters has been seeking to take over the hydropower plants for some time, and has benefited from rare agreement with Bavaria’s opposition parties, the Greens and the SPD.
Söder said that Bavaria had offered the federal government a takeover of Uniper-owned hydropower plants in Bavaria, but had so far received no response. The move would affect more than 85 hydropower plants, primarily on the Lech, Isar and Main rivers. This represents around 40% of all hydropower plants in Bavaria.
A large share of all Germany’s hydropower plants are located in Bavaria. According to previous statements by both sides, Bavaria can insist on the transfer of the plants on historical legal grounds, even against Uniper’s wishes. However, Bavaria must pay the company compensation and accept certain waiting periods.
Translation disclaimer
This article is a machine translation of the Czech original and has not yet been fully reviewed. In case of any doubt, please refer to the Czech version.
