Axpo international: Electricity trading and renewables

Business is business, whether in Switzerland or internationally - one might think. Yes - but not only. Of course, Axpo can score points internationally with Swiss virtues and values - but that alone and a broad range of products and services tailored to individual customer needs are not enough. Our local presence is key for Axpo’s international business. This is why we are currently present in 32 countries and active in more than 40 markets in Europe, North America, and Asia. In all these places we rely on the know-how of our local experts: They come from the countries in which they work, they understand the characteristics of the respective markets and they know what problems face the customer.  Accordingly, our international business activities have developed encouragingly and are contributing to Axpo's positive business performance.

Axpo is more than just Swiss business - we have also been successful in Europe, in the USA, since 2016, and in Asia, since 2020. We are present in 32 countries and active in more than 40 markets. With 19,800 MW, Axpo is the leading marketer of renewable energies in Europe. In recent years, customers and counterparties continuously voted Axpo one of the world's best energy trading companies in the renowned annual survey conducted by the trade magazines "Risk.net" and "Energy Risk".

And our international business continues to grow: Especially demand for long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) is on the rise (for details see: A trend: PPAs).

Axpo is also active in the retail business on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), as well as in Italy and Poland. 

Our subsidiaries Urbasolar in France, which has been part of Axpo since the summer of 2019, and Volkswind are building large solar plants and wind farms. To date, Volkswind has developed more than 80 wind farms with an installed capacity of more than 1,350 MW. Its project pipeline includes additional plants in various stages of development with a total capacity of over 3,500 MW. As Switzerland’s largest producer of renewable energies, Axpo intends to develop 3 GW in onshore wind energy plants mainly in France and Germany by the year 2030.

Urbasolar currently operates more than 100 solar plants. In addition, the company has a development pipeline of more than 5,700 MW and offers maintenance, repair and asset management services. Axpo is continuing to expand its solar energy activities with the development of new plants in Spain, Italy and Poland totalling 4 GW of installed capacity. Solar power plants with 10 GW capacity will be built by 2030. 

The economic procurement of energy is decisive for the competitiveness of a company. This is why Axpo's Trading & Sales business offers both standardised energy products and energy solutions, certificates and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of its customers (origination). They benefit from Axpo's proven experience in energy trading, risk management and market analysis, as well as from its international presence. We are active in the following areas: electricity, renewable energies, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and emission certificates. 

We see an ever increasing demand of energy-intensive industrial companies in many countries across Europe, but also in the United States, to cover their electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. On the other side, project owners and investors in renewable energies are looking for price stability when selling the electricity produced.

In this context, long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) have become an important growth area and a megatrend due to cuts or elimination of government subsidies for renewable energies and the sharp drop in the cost price of new plants. The demand for PPAs and innovative energy services will continue to increase in the course of the rapid expansion of renewable energies. Axpo has indepth expertise in the field of PPAs and supports numerous corporate customers in around 40 markets on their way to lower CO2 emissions.