"Our aim is to play an active and significant role in helping to structure the Energiewende,” says chief executive Frank Mastiaux as the company presented a 69% plunge in first-half profits to €190.5m ($253.2m).

Although revenues from renewables rose 8.5% to €185.4m in the first half of 2013, the unit remains a sliver within EnBW's wider business, with the generation and trading divisions contributing €2.5bn