AGO AG Energie + Anlagen introduces climate protection project to broad public

+++ Reduction of climate-harmful CO2 emissions in medium-sized companies
+++ Voluntary participation in emissions trading for facilities with 400 kW to 19.9 MW
+++ 50 registrations for the event within three days

Kulmbach, 28 July 2008: AGO AG Energie + Anlagen (cusip number: A0LR41; ISIN: DE000A0LR415) invited to the opening event of the national climate protection project in Bayreuth. “Within few days, the contingent was fully booked“, said AGO’s CFO Hans Ulrich Gruber amazed by the response for his event. „Companies know that firstly they can do something for the environment by means of climate protection measures and they know how to take economically advantage of them.“ One of the flexible mechanisms that are put down in the Kyoto Protocol is emissions trading. It is supposed to push companies to convert their facilities to a preferably climate friendly operation. Those who reduce their CO2 emissions can sell their emission allowances profitably. Those however who increase their emissions need to buy these allowances.

With the climate protection program AGO AG Energie + Anlagen is breaking new ground. Its aim is to push medium-sized German companies to convert their energy supply from fossil fuels to regenerative alternatives by means of a Joint Implementation. That is however only possible if the company is not already forced by legal requirement to cease operation of their old energy center. „We want to agitate companies to voluntarily change sides to regenerative energy“, emphasizes Jürgen Frisch, head of consulting, emissions trading and international climate protection. AGO refers to that as early conversion. All companies that are not subject to the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Law (TEHG) and want to convert their existing plant which is operated by oil or gas to biomass or another regenerative energy source shall feel addressed. The old plants do not necessarily have to be knocked down. In many cases, it is rather advisable to keep the existing boilers for cases of emergency or as redundant aggregates.

The programmatic approach allows for new projects/participants to be continually incorporated in the JI project within the project period (2008 – 2012) without the JI approval procedure having to be passed again. Advantages can be found in particular in cases in which the CO2 reducing potential per individual measure is too low to be implemented as an individual project. Therefore, it can be assumed that a measure’s implementation without the incorporation in a programmatic project often would not take place at all or at least with delay. By combining single projects/measures to one “programmatic JI project” this obstacle can be countered, provided that the new participants meet the previously defined participation criteria. The German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) supports programmatic JI projects since it considers it a suitable instrument for reaching to date unused carbon dioxide reducing potentials.

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.