The Swedish energy producer Vattenfall, which owns and runs five combined heat and power plants and several wind turbine parks in Denmark has announced it is to change its geographic focus, with suggestions that it is seeking to divest its Danish operations.

Vattenfall owns the Amagerværket, Nordjyllandsværket and Fynsværket major district heating and energy plants as well as the decentralised plants in Elsinore and Hillerød. The plants have an overall capacity of 24 percent of Denmark’s power capacity and run on coal, oil, natural gas, and wood and straw pellets.

Vattenfall Communications Executive Marianne Reedtz Sparrevohn says, however, that concrete decisions have not yet been taken.

“It is part of the new strategy and the potential for selling the plants is to be investigated,” she says.

“Concrete decisions have not been taken. We are in an investigating phase and it may take 2-3 years. But we are looking at the potential for closing our activities in Denmark,” Reedtz Sparrevohn says.

Vattenfall’s new strategy, made public in a release on its website, is to concentrate on its core countries of Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, also suggesting it plans to change its involvement in Poland, Belgium and Finland. The group is looking to consolidate after a period of heavy investment and to concentrate on parts of its business that focus on sustainable energy.

Vattenfall also owns some 400 wind turbines in Denmark at several wind farms. If a final decision is taken to withdraw from Denmark, these too will be up for sale.

Vattenfall currently employs some 750 staff in Denmark, but the company says a withdrawal would not result in major job losses.

“Many of these employees are involved in providing energy from the existing plants, and would be needed to continue production,” says Reedtz Sparrevohn, stressing that Vattenfall’s new strategy vis a vis Denmark is still in an investigative phase and no concrete decisions have yet been made.