Mannheim, 15 July 2010 - The annual general meeting of CropEnergies AG, Mannheim, on 15 July 2010 passed a resolution to pay a dividend for the first time.
The total dividend payout is EUR 4.3 million. That is equivalent to EUR 0.05 per share. All the other motions put forward by the company's executive board and supervisory board were also adopted by a clear majority of over 99%. Approximately 800 shareholders and guests representing 82% of the share capital, attended the annual general meeting held in the Rosengarten in Mannheim.
A focus of special interest among shareholders were the strategic goals that CropEnergies is pursuing and the positive outlook for the current financial year. Other key topics were the benefits of bioethanol over fossil fuels. Bioethanol produced on a sustainable basis from renewable raw materials, as at CropEnergies, not only helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector but at the same time also makes an important contribution towards securing energy supplies and lowering the dependence on energy imports. An issue of ever greater importance in light of current developments is the fact that the production of biofuels from sustainably produced biomass presents far less risks for the environment, from exploration through to transportation, than fossil fuels.
On the occasion of the annual general meeting two technology partners of CropEnergies presented themselves: HEICO Sportiv, one of the world's most renowned Volvo tuners, and the Dart Racing Team from the University of Darmstadt. HEICO Sportiv exhibited the HEICO Volvo C30 T5. This vehicle, fuelled with E85, was the first bioethanol powered car to finish as winner in its class in the legendary 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring, thus demonstrating impressively the performance of bioethanol. The technology and fuel partnership with HEICO enables CropEnergies to gain valuable insights into the performance of its E85 fuel CropPower85 in direct comparison with fossil fuels. At the same time, it provides a prominent platform for the bioethanol fuel for flexible fuel vehicles to demonstrate its competitiveness. The Dart Racing Team, which is made up of students from the University of Darmstadt, exhibited the racing car which it designed and built itself. This vehicle, which is also powered by the bioethanol fuel CropPower85, will be taking part for the first time in the Formula Student racing event at the Hockenheimring from 4 to 8 August 2010. With this partnership, CropEnergies is supporting a project by young enthusiasts who are thereby making an important contribution towards further developing the scope of application and performance of bioethanol.
CropEnergies AG
CropEnergies - a member of the Südzucker Group - is a leading European supplier of sustainably produced bioethanol for the fuel sector. "Crop" stands for "creative regeneration of power". Energy in the form of bioethanol is produced from renewable resources - grain and sugar beets.
CropEnergies sees itself as a pioneer in the German bioethanol market and is expanding its market position throughout Europe. With subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, and France, CropEnergies is one of the leading bioethanol producers in the European growth market for renewable energies. The shares of CropEnergies AG (ISIN DE000A0LAUP1) are listed in the Official Market (Prime Standard) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.