Henkel has no plans to break up, its chief executive told a German newspaper, adding the German consumer goods group’s current structure gave it enough flexibility to grow.
Industrials groups around the world are grappling with shareholder pressure to reduce their complexity to create value and get rid of conglomerate discounts, leading some, including General Electric and Thyssenkrupp, to restructure.
“These trends and debates come and go. But we are generally sticking to our three business areas,” Hans Van Bylen told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview.
“That translates into stability and balance. At the same time, all three areas have freedom and a clear focus on their markets and customers,” he added.
More than 61 percent of Henkel’s ordinary shares are owned by members of the Henkel family share-pooling agreement, making it less vulnerable to attempts by activist shareholders to push for change.
“We are very happy about that. The family is pursuing a long-term strategy. This provides us with stability to develop the group on a long-term basis,” Van Bylen said.
By Christoph Steitz
Source: Reuters
France has launched an offshore green hydrogen production platform at the country’s Port of Saint-Nazaire this week, along with its first offshore wind farm. The hydrogen plant, which its operators say is the world’s first facility of its type, coincides with the launch of another “first of its kind” facility in Sweden dedicated to storing hydrogen in an underground lined rock cavern (LRC).
The project sets up the Hydrogen Valley in Rome, the first industrial-scale technological hub for the development of the national supply chain for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen for the decarbonization of industrial processes and for sustainable mobility.
At first glance, hydrogen seems to be the perfect solution to our energy needs. It doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide when used. It can store energy for long periods of time. It doesn’t leave behind hazardous waste materials, like nuclear does. And it doesn’t require large swathes of land to be flooded, like hydroelectricity. Seems too good to be true. So…what’s the catch?
