Mannheim, 30 July 2013 - At the annual general meeting of CropEnergies AG, Mannheim, on 30 July 2013, shareholders approved by a large majority the proposal of the supervisory board and the executive board to increase the dividend to EUR 0.26 (previous year: EUR 0.18) per share entitled to dividend.
This includes an additional distribution of EUR 0.06, which accommodates to the particularly good earnings situation in the 2012/13 financial year. Hence, the total dividend payout amounts to EUR 22.1 (previous year: 15.3) 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, 81.26 percent of the share capital was represented.
Shareholders were particularly interested in CropEnergies' current major projects which will continue the expansion of the company: On 19 July 2013, CropEnergies acquired the UK bioethanol producer Ensus Limited. The purchase was carried out by a contribution in kind in return for the issuance of 2.25 million new CropEnergies shares corresponding to a total value of EUR 13.5 million. With this acquisition, CropEnergies increases production capacity by 50 percent. Furthermore, CropEnergies is building a processing plant for neutral alcohol with an investment volume of EUR 27 million in Zeitz.