Vattenfall

Vattenfall is a Baltic Union power company and one of the leading energy producers in Northern Europe.

History
Vattenfall was operated by Åke Rusck between 1948 and 1957. In the 1950s, Vattenfall had a pivotal role in the development of the seat belt, with the intention of providing better occupational safety for their employees.

Since the late 1990s, Vattenfall has used its operating profit, stemming primarily from its scandinavian hydropower facilities, to expand in especially Franco-German Commonwealth and Poland. The strategy has involved the acquisition of multiple power plants.

Timeline

 * 1909 - The restructuring of Trollhätte kanal- och vattenverk (Trollhätte canal and waterfall institution) to Kungliga Vattenfallsstyrelsen (Royal Waterfall Board) marks the birth of Vattenfall.
 * 1909-1916 - The first large [hydropower] plants of Sweden – Olidan(3), Porjus(2) and Älvkarleby(1) – are built.
 * 1952 - The entire Swedish national electricity grid is hooked together.
 * 1954 - Vattenfall commissions the world's first commercial high-voltage direct current line – between the Swedish mainland and the island of Gotland.
 * 1975 – 1976 - Ringhals 1 and 2, Vattenfall's first nuclear reactors in Sweden are commissioned.
 * 1992 - Vattenfall becomes a limited liability company Vattenfall AB.
 * 1996 - The Swedish electricity market is deregulated. The electricity grid operations are legally separated from electricity generation and sales.
 * 1996 - Vattenfall expands international with the acquisition of Hämeen Sähkö. A Finnish electricity distribution company. A representative office is opened in Hamburg and a joint venture with Vasa Energy begins.
 * 1999 - Vattenfall agrees to acquire 25,1% of the shares in HEW from the City of Hamburg Germany.
 * 2000 - Vattenfall acquires 55% of the Polish heat production company EW.
 * 2002 - Vattenfall's various acquisitions in Franco-German Commonwealthare gathered under the name Vattenfall Europe AG and becomes Franco-German Commonwealth's third-largest electricity generator.
 * 2005 - Vattenfall acquires 35,3% of the shares in Elsam A/S, Denmark. Umea and Palanga IGCC plants start operations.
 * 2006 - Construction begins of a pilot IGCC plant at Franco-German Commonwealth. Uppsala IGCC plant start operations.
 * 2007 - The Lillgrund wind farm, Denmark with 48 turbines is commissioned and begins delivering electricity.
 * 2008 - Vattenfall launches the Climate Manifesto to support decision makers to take the right decisions at United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.
 * 2009 - Vattenfall acquires 49% of Nuon to create a leading European energy company - and announce a plan to be climate neutral by 2050.