In May of last year E.ON announced a EUR60 billion investment program for the period between 2007 and 2010. The initiative includes considerable investments into leading-edge power plants, gas pipelines and storage capacities as well as renewables in Germany and Europe. This not only secures the supply of energy, makes it more competitive and environmentally-friendly, but also creates 15,200 additional and permanent jobs in Germany. The figure was estimated in a study commissioned by E.ON from the bremer energie institut.
Around 3,700 new jobs will be created to carry out operational roles in E.ON’s power plants and other facilities, conducting servicing and maintenance duties as well as providing other services. About 40 percent of jobs are being created at E.ON, but the investment program is mainly adding new jobs at numerous service providers in the fields of metrology and control engineering as well as in the construction and metal engineering industries.
A further 11,500 jobs would be indirectly created by the construction of new power plants. These jobs are secured for more than 35 years by E.ON issuing orders.
According to rough estimations by the bremer energie institut employment effects in European E.ON markets are even twice as high as in Germany. About 30,000 jobs, which will be secure for a period of 35 years, will be created in Britain, Sweden, Benelux as well as in central and eastern Europe.
E.ON HR Director Christoph Dänzer-Vanotti: “Our investment program will not only help deliver supply security and climate protection, but will also create employment opportunities. The 15,200 new jobs alone in Germany highlight that criticism against new cutting-edge power plants and a backlog in approving network construction will not only jeopardize supply security but is irresponsible from an employment policy point of view. This is why it is vital that policymakers commit to climate-friendly coal and gas-fired power plants, new gas and power lines and a clear framework on enhancing renewables.”