Welcome

 

Willem-Bernard Investeringsmaatschappij B.V. is an independent Dutch investment company active since 2005. We develop, help realise and invest in wind and solar energy companies and projects, independently or in cooperation.

 

Our mission is to ‘build a sustainable environment’ by providing capital and knowledge, sharing our experience by potentially playing an active role as a shareholder and/or board member.

 

The focus of Willem-Bernard Investeringsmaatschappij B.V. is on renewable energy, mainly wind and solar PV. Next to the expanding portfolio of wind and solar assets WBI is participating in starting or growing companies with innovative sustainable business models.

 

‘Long term value and revenue creation for all stakeholders’ is our goal.

 

Willem-Bernard Investeringsmaatschappij B.V. (WBI) has participations in operational wind energy parks in the Netherlands, Curaçao and Aruba with promising extension possibilities and has recently expanded its business in the solar PV sector through its subsidiary Sunwatt BV.

In April 2014 Sunwatt has acquired a majority shareholding in Solaris Real Ltd based the UK. Solaris operates a 300 kWp solar park since 2011 and has since take over developed and realised an extension of 800 kWp. Sunwatt continues growing its business and portfolio of solar PV parks in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany.

 

In 2014 WBI has structured and successfully placed in the market an asset back bond (subordinated debt) for two operational solar PV parks in the east of Germany totalling 4,8 MWp. In 2020 the bonds have been bought back by the developer First Green Capital.

 

Sunwatt is since August 2016 the proud owner of Solarpark De Kwekerij, a 2 MWp solar park in Hengelo (GLD), Netherlands. The first park in the world which combines nature development, recreation, water retention and green electricity production. Sunwatt’s skills of financing, structuring, solar PV development and exploitation and ecological knowledge helped this project to realisation. Many thanks go out to all involved parties and the people of Hengelo who made this special park possible.

 

In the period 2016 to 2019 Sunwatt has helped with the structuring, financing and realisation of solarpark De Groene Weuste. This park has a capacity of 4 MWp and was development by Stichting Duurzame Energie Wierden-Enter (SWEDE). A real community project where the financial yield and social (labour) benefits were fully optimised for the people living in Wierden. In 2021 Sunwatt and SDEWE has successfully developed and realised an extension of 1,5 MWp called De Groene Weuste +.

 

Sunwatt won in the summer of 2017 with its partner HVC a tender called for by the municipality of Almere for a 34 MWp solar-PV project. This ‘state of the art’ east-west oriented solar park has been developed by HVC and Sunwatt to create huge financial and social benefits for the people and local companies of Almere. In July 2019 the park was successfully built. Together with De Groene Reus lucrative crowdfunding is currently being deployed and cheap green electricity will be sold to the people of Almere.

 

Since 2017 WBI has provided start capital to and as shareholder actively supported Yilkins Drying Solutions. Yilkins engineers, designs and builds high efficient industrial drying equipment for all kinds of biomass. Yilkins focus is helping their global clients implementing a circular approach and ‘local to local’ concept of sourcing of (low grade) biomass, drying it in the most cost effective and efficient way and reusing the upgraded biomass. Two commercial projects has recently purchased and are using the advanced drying and torrefaction technology of Yilkins. During the global pandemic sales stalled but engineering continued. Since the beginning of 2022 traction has been huge again and two or more major sales are expected by the end of the year.

 

Recently Sunwatt co-developed, structured, financed and realised a multifunctional floating solar park of 3,2 MWp in Boskoop. Part of this project has been the creation of a much needed water retention facility of 3,5 hectares for the tree nursery area of Boskoop. The project has been commissioned in October 2021.