Mannheim, 15 July 2014 - At the annual general meeting of CropEnergies AG, Mannheim, on 15 July 2014, shareholders approved by a large majority the dividend proposal of the supervisory board and the executive board todistribute a dividend of EUR 0.10 (previous year: EUR 0.20 + EUR 0.06 special distribution) per share entitled to dividend.
This results in a total dividend payout of EUR 8.7 (previous year: EUR 22.1) million. All other agenda items were also adopted by a majority of more than 99 percent. Around 800 shareholders and guests attended the annual general meeting in the Congress Center Rosengarten in Mannheim. Overall, 83.4 percent of the share capital was represented.
Aside from the two major projects which were the focus of CropEnergies in the previous financial year, shareholders were particularly interested in the political framework on an EU level and the developments in the bioethanol market.
In July 2013, CropEnergies had acquired the British bioethanol producer Ensus Limited and had increased its production capacity by 50 percent in a single step. At the site in Zeitz, Germany, CropEnergies is investing EUR 27 million in the construction of a refinery for high-quality neutral alcohol which is scheduled to go on stream in 2015.
After the last year had been characterized by discussions about the design of the framework for biofuels, progress has been made on an EU level in June 2014. CropEnergies assumes that an agreement will be reached in the foreseeable future. In the mid-term, this should lead to an increase of the share of renewable energies in the transport sector, e.g. through E10, and should reduce the share of fossil fuels and consequently greenhouse gas emissions quickly and cost-effectively. CropEnergies will continue to campaign for a sustainable and reliable biofuels policy. The industry needs a stable framework until 2020 and beyond.
Ensuring mobility in a climate friendly way - today and in the future - is CropEnergies' business. Founded in Mannheim, Germany, in 2006, the young and dynamically growing member of the Südzucker Group is one of the leading European manufacturers of sustainably produced bioethanol for the fuel sector today. With its three modern production facilities in Germany, Belgium, and France as well as trading offices in the USA and Brazil, CropEnergies produces approximately 700,000 cubic meters of bioethanol per year. They mainly replace petrol and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent. With this, CropEnergies has established itself successfully as a bioethanol pioneer in a major emerging market.
In addition to the efficient production of bioethanol, CropEnergies is mainly characterized by the innovative co-product concept: The raw materials which are used such as cereals and sugar beets are completely utilized. As a result, 500,000 tonnes of high-quality protein food and animal feed products are manufactured every year out of the non-fermentable components of the raw materials.
Through advanced technology and innovation CropEnergies contributes to ensure a sustainable mobility from renewable sources today and in the future through its main product bioethanol: mobility - sustainable. renewable.
The CropEnergies AG stock (ISIN DE000AOLAUP1) has been listed at the regulated market (Prime Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2006.