For 100 years, the DS Group’s subsidiaries have been strong partners in the energy sector

The Energy Division is of enduring importance to us. It is essential for the DS Group as energy will continue to keep us mobile and warm as we move forward. The DS Group companies have been a reliable partner for commercial customers and private households since the 1920s. We started off as a regional dealer in Bremen. Over time we evolved into a wholesaler, a tank farm and petrol station operator and a reliable supplier for final consumers both inside and outside Germany. We have achieved this growth by expanding our existing business and making targeted strategic investments in promising companies. We have invested courageously and grown organically. We do not pursue short-term tactics but view ourselves as long-term partners providing strategic, financial and commercial services for our subsidiaries. We would like to explain here how we do this and what we stand for.

Which aspect of our corporate investments would you like to know more about?

• Petroleum trade

• Storage tanks

• Services for truck fleets

• Final customer business

• Three important principles of the DS Energy Group

Petroleum trade: a century of experience

Our trade in mineral oil products is one of the largest and most important pillars of our activities. In the course of one century, we have continued to optimise our experience in trade and our logistics. We now know exactly how individual the customers in our industry are and are able to react routinely to special wishes and requirements. DS-Mineralöl provides energy in many forms: fuel oil, biodiesel, diesel fuel, wood pellets or AdBlue® – all certified according to the corresponding DIN standards or individualised in accordance with the customer’s requirements.

Stable and continuous activities in the fuel market – looking to the future

Our activities as a petroleum wholesaler go back to a strategic decision made by the company and its shareholders. We do not copy trends, but observe the market with Hanseatic composure. Petroleum is not without alternatives. Although we see great opportunities in e-fuels, petroleum will remain indispensable for ensuring economically viable and sufficient mobility for at least another 20 years. Our experts’ observations repeatedly show that many industries will continue to require energy from traditional fuels for a long time to come. That is why we will remain a reliable and strong wholesale partner.

„Obviously, we are taking a very close look at the energy sources which will ensure our mobility in the future – and what role we can play in this. We are approaching this question this calmly and prudently.“

Ian Petri, Managing Director of DS-Mineralöl and WESER-PETROL

We are thinking about the next technical and human generation – and the role that we will be playing in the future

Nobody can say for sure what the market will look like in 50 years and what power train technologies are still to come. But our goal is clear: we want to be a strong partner in the field of energy for future generations. That’s why we think in terms of generations rather than quarters. With our existing infrastructure, we are and will remain a supplier and service provider.

We are looking for attractive opportunities to strategically expand in the areas of hydrogen, biomass and E-fuels.

Here, as well, we are already analysing whether and when we can establish or plan economically viable supply chain structures. This may entail new storage capacities as well as new discharge points, distribution paths and expertise.

Our storage tanks: availability and capacity for future growth

Through our subsidiary WESER-PETROL Seehafentanklager GmbH & Co. KG we operate a total of six storage tanks at three locations for petroleum products and biofuels. We have a total of 372,000 cubic meters of tank space at coastal locations, which we use for strategic stockpiling and for wholesale and import trade.

We have positioned our tank terminals strategically at the ports of Bremen, Greifswald and Nordenham on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and plan to selectively expand our infrastructure to establish an even larger distribution and logistics network. We use our tank farms as storage capacities for our own subsidiaries but also offer this tank space for use by our partners.

Our end customer business (B2C): closer to the end customer, stable market presence, expansion in the future.

Our activities in B2C are bundled under DS-Energien GmbH. Within this group, we are focused on activities for three main end customer groups:

• Private households: Electricity, heating fuels, natural gas and wood pellets 

• Agriculture: Diesel fuels

• Independent gas stations: Diesel fuels and unleaded gas

In the perspective of vertical integration, we are engaging more with the end customer. The diversification to strengthen end customer business is to build a broader foundation for us in the future. The goal: an increased independence from the volatile wholesale business. The four holdings - Leu Energie, Lanfer Energie, Kreuzmayr Bayern and Lands GmbH – are the basis for this new approach. They have their own gas stations, different end customer businesses, and leverage our wholesale business and infrastructure for their successful B2C approach in the market.

Whenever we see a gap, we fill it by incorporating a company of our own.

With Lands GmbH, we are carrying the enthusiasm and vigour of our founder Otto Diersch into the future. The joint venture will be monitoring the market for classic filling stations and seeking growth in this segment. Many filling stations that are available for sale on the market can be returned to commercially viable operation and developed thanks to the synergistic effects provided by our Group companies. We see great potential for organic and strategic growth in retail filling stations.

Our subsidiaries also focus on wood pellets