AGO AG Energie + Anlagen launches climate protection program

+++ The Federal Republic of Germany approves AGO AG’s climate protection program
+++ Germany’s first joint implementation climate protection program with focus on biomass utilization
+++ Tradable CO2 allowances and heat from wood chips

Kulmbach, 17 March 2009: AGO AG Energie + Anlagen (cusip number: A0LR41; ISIN: DE000A0LR415), has started marketing their climate protection program Eco-Plus* dated 27 February 2009 upon approval by the Federal Republic of Germany as a contract party of the Kyoto Protocol. With this approval, the Federal Republic of Germany authorizes AGO AG Energie + Anlagen to take part in a project according to the Kyoto Protocol’s Article 6.

AGO AG is the first contractor in Germany to have developed a joint implementation project (collaborative implementation of climate protection) with sole focus on biomass utilization. The approval was subject to the Environment Agency’s German Emissions Trading Authority as the competent authority for joint implementation on federal territory by the Federal Republic of Germany as host state.

“With our Eco-Plus climate protection program we are the pioneer in a highly interesting market environment. It’s our ambition to convince German medium sized companies to convert their energy supply from fossil fuels to regenerative alternatives by means of ecological criteria and economically attractive conditions. This conversion makes the companies reduce their CO2 emissions and profit from emission allowances which they can sell at lucrative conditions.“, says Hans Ulrich Gruber, CFO of AGO AG. „Due to the companies’ ecological responsibility and the commercially attractive basic conditions we are expecting an increasing demand for our technology sustainably supporting climate protection“, says Helmut Peetz, COO of AGO AG.

The climate protection program is aiming at industrial customers and public institutions in Germany and applies for energy centres with thermal outputs of 400 Kilowatts to a maximum of 19.9 Megawatts.

In 2008 already, AGO AG’s BOD convinced the former Federal Minister of Economics Michael Glos as well as the new Federal Minister of Economics Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg of the advantages of the Eco-Plus climate protection program during a meeting in Kulmbach.

The official launch of the climate protection program called Eco-Plus depended on a presentation by a participating partner. Therefore, one of Germany’s leading wheat beer breweries, Gebr. Maisel in Bayreuth, decided to convert their energy centre to regenerative energies and chose AGO AG as their climate protection partner in order to participate in the revenues from emission allowances for saving carbon dioxide as of the operation of the biomass heating station.

„AGO AG’s range of services covers the entire life cycle of plant construction and operation. Starting with consultancy when converting from fossil fuels to regenerative alternatives, we also take care of the design, construction coordination and operation of the energy centre. Furthermore, we provide our clients with professional know-how on efficient raw material management and on the settlement of trading emission allowances“, says Gruber.

*) ECo-Plus is a trademark applied for by AGO AG Energie + Anlagen

About AGO AG Energie + Anlagen

AGO AG Energie + Anlagen, with its registered office in Kulmbach, was founded in 1980 and is specialized in the area of innovative and efficient energy supply facilities for industrial customers and municipalities. Main focus of AGO AG Energie + Anlagen is laid on the following business divisions: plant development and implementation, as well as service and consulting. The core competence of the company mainly commits to thermal power stations, to heating, cooling and ventilation technology plant construction, biomass cogeneration plants and trigeneration. Site studies and development, consulting in energy efficiency, resource and fossil fuel management as well as emission trade management – these factors complete the business model. AGO symbolizes efficiency, security and technological competence of your energy supply facilities.