Milestones and facts

The present day Alpiq concluded its first energy-supply contract with the Hungarian Power Companies Ltd. (MVM) in 1996. Our company has long believed in the Hungarian market and its economic potential. Since our initial entry, we have grown to become a significant market participant and one of the largest foreign energy traders.

To underpin our company's long-term commitment to the Hungarian market, we acquired the Csepel Power Plant Complex in 2002 and became one of the major foreign investors in Hungary. Built in 2000, Csepel II was the first power plant in Hungary to be funded by private capital.
In September 2002, the forerunner to today's company (Atel Energia Kft.) was established in Budapest as a subsidiary of the Alpiq Group with the aim of creating and expanding a local business within the liberalising Hungarian energy market and to serve as a hub for electricity trading in Central Europe.

In spring 2003, our group’s Hungarian operations obtained a trading license. This was an important milestone, as it enabled the company to react immediately to the partial liberalisation of the market and to be among the first to participate in cross-border and production capacity auctions. The Alpiq Group’s international portfolio has strengthened market liquidity and contributed a great deal to the development of an open Hungarian electricity market.

Besides electricity trading, Alpiq decided to strengthen its domestic Hungarian presence and increase sales in the run-up to full market liberalisation, which occurred on January 1, 2008. Through infrastructure development and organisational restructuring, we satisfied all the criteria for supplying tailor-made products to end customers in the industrial and services sectors.

Alpiq was created at the beginning of 2009 as a result of the merger of Olten-based Atel and EOS of western Switzerland. The merger turned Alpiq into Switzerland's leading energy company.
In August 2009, Alpiq Energy SE was created from the companies and subsidiaries of Atel Energy AG in EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe. At the beginning of 2010 Alpiq Energia Magyarország Kft. transferred its wholesale activities to the European company. Alpiq's next milestone in Hungary was the merger with Alpiq Energia Magyarország Kft., including the transfer of all rights and liabilities, to create Alpiq Energy SE. Since 1 December 2010, Alpiq Energy SE has carried out its end customer sales activities via its Hungarian branch office.

Milestones

2011: Founding member of the Hungarian Electricity Exchange HUPX

2010: Alpiq Energia Magyarország Kft. merges to create Alpiq Energy SE; The Hungarian branch office takes over end customer sales

2009: Alpiq brand is launched in Hungary; Alpiq Energia Magyarország Kft. becomes the successor of Atel Energia Kereskedő Kft.; Alpiq Energy SE is founded in Prague at the beginning of the year; Alpiq Energy SE branch office in Hungary is registered in August and starts wholesale activities

2008: Full electricity market liberalisation on 1 January

2003: Hungarian trading licence since 2003; First electricity deliveries to eligible Hungarian customers

2002: Acquisition of Csepel II Power Plant; Foundation of Atel Energia Kereskedő Kft. in Budapest

1996: First Atel energy supply agreements with Hungary