NewEn is a German-based company with subsidiaries in Australia and Canada. The NewEn we see today started in Bremen, Germany, in 1920 as Diersch & Schroeder, which diversified into renewable energy in the 1990s.

In 1999 NewEn Germany was established and just four years later, in 2003, followed NewEn Australia Pty Ltd. In 2008 our Canadian operation opened.

As a family-owned company, NewEn has always had a personal approach to business. We fully believe in a hands on approach, where the people who oversee the company are responsible for its day-to-day operations.

It is a philosophy that works well and together with the long family tradition has significantly contributed to the company’s success.

History

NewEn is part of a German mid-sized, family-owned holding company with a long tradition.

NewEn started in Bremen, a trading city on the river Weser which is more than a thousand years old. Since historic Hanseatic times, the city has been recognised for its tradition, its cosmopolitan attitude and commercial far-sightedness. On October 5th 1920 Otto Diersch established the Diersch & Schroeder company and laid the foundations for the DS Group of today.

Initially the company was involved in the trade of lubricants. It expanded in the 1950s under the leadership of Wolfgang Karstedt, the son-in-law of Otto Diersch, into an international gas and oil importing business. In 1979 Bernd Karstedt joined the DS Group and was appointed joint-managing director of DS Holding in 1980 alongside his father Wolfgang Karstedt. At the end of 2010 Bernd joined the Advisory Board as a non-executive director so that  for the first time in the company’s long history we now have external management leading the company. It continues to be owned by the Karstedt family.

From the very beginning Bernd pursued his goal to prepare the DS Group for the next millennium so that it can be passed-on successfully to the fourth generation. Based on his belief that renewable energy is absolutely essential for a sustainable future Diersch & Schroeder diversified into this business segment.

VIS NOVA GmbH, wholly owned by DS Holding, is in charge of running and developing the renewable energy segment of the group. In addition to the energetic usage of biomass production and trade of wood pellets, construction of biogas plants and geothermal activities, wind power forms a main focus of the portfolio.

Given the long family tradition it is only fitting that Bernd’s brother Svend Karstedt is the Managing Director of VIS NOVA GmbH and NewEn Australia.

Australia

NewEn Australia Pty Ltd. is an Australian company established in 2003 for the purpose of developing wind farms in Australia.

GreenEn, managed by Svend, owns NewEn Australia.  Svend Karstedt is also the key person linking all – DS Group, VIS NOVA GmbH, GreenEn and NewEn Australia – through his management and shareholding roles.

NewEn is a relatively small company when compared to most of its industry counterparts. But it has a great deal of experience in this field and prides itself on its commitment to the community and the environment.

Our Team

As a family-owned company, NewEn has always had a personal approach to business.

We fully believe in a hands-on attitude, where the people who oversee the company are responsible for its day-to-day operations.

It’s a philosophy that works well and together with the long family tradition has significantly contributed to the company’s success.

Your Australian team:

Ernst Weyhausen Australian Director	Svend Karstedt Managing Director