The story
Ansaldo Energia was officially founded in 1991 in Genoa, as a continuation and expansion of Ansaldo, a company originally established in 1853.
In 1994, Ansaldo Energia merged with Ansaldo GIE, a company that had adopted this name in 1989. Ansaldo GIE was formed through various acquisitions, including that of Gruppo Industrie Elettro Meccaniche per Impianti all'Estero, and became fully owned by Ansaldo in 1991.
In September 2006, Ansaldo Energia acquired the Dutch company Thomassen Turbine Systems (TTS) from Calpine European Finance LLC for €18.5 million. TTS specialized in maintenance services for gas turbines and operated globally, with facilities in the Netherlands and Abu Dhabi.
In 2009, Ansaldo Ricerche S.p.A. was merged into Ansaldo Energia. Ansaldo Ricerche had been part of the Ansaldo Group, later acquired by Finmeccanica, and its activities were absorbed into Ansaldo Energia.
On March 9, 2011, Ansaldo Energia Holding (55% owned by Leonardo-Finmeccanica and 45% by First Reserve Corporation) acquired 100% of Ansaldo Energia for a total of €1.07 billion. Additionally, Ansaldo Energia paid Leonardo-Finmeccanica €95 million for the rights to use the Ansaldo brand for the following 25 years.
In 2011, Ansaldo Fuel Cells, originally established in 2003 as a spin-off of Ansaldo Ricerche focused on fuel cell development, was integrated into Ansaldo Energia, reinforcing the group's commitment to innovative and sustainable energy solutions.
In December 2013, the Italian Strategic Fund acquired 85% of Ansaldo Energia from Leonardo-Finmeccanica and the First Reserve Fund for €777 million. The deal was signed by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti.
On May 8, 2014, Shanghai Electric and the Italian Strategic Fund signed an agreement for Shanghai Electric to acquire a 40% stake in Ansaldo Energia for €400 million. The deal was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti. Following the transaction, the ownership structure saw the Italian Strategic Fund holding approximately 60%, and Shanghai Electric holding 40%.
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In July 2016, Ansaldo Energia began the construction of a new plant in the Cornigliano district of Genoa, dedicated to assembling next-generation gas turbines "inherited" from Alstom. Upon completion—scheduled for June 2017—the production, which had previously been based in Germany, would be relocated to Italy. This new production line involved technology acquired by the Ligurian company as part of General Electric's acquisition of Alstom. The European Commission approved the General Electric–Alstom merger on the condition that Alstom's gas turbine technology be transferred to a European competitor. Ansaldo Energia was selected to receive this strategic asset.
In October 2019, Giuseppe Zampini stepped down as CEO to become Chairman, and Giuseppe Marino (formerly with Ansaldo Breda and Hitachi Ltd) was appointed as the new CEO.
In 2020, the GT36 gas turbine was introduced in Genoa, setting a new benchmark as the most powerful and high-performance turbine ever engineered in Italy. Initially nicknamed "Monte Bianco" for its unmatched power, it represents a pinnacle of European excellence.
In February 2020, Ansaldo Energia unveiled its industrial plan for the 2020-2024 period, which included the potential sale—later finalized—of several subsidiaries, including PSM and Ansaldo Thomassen.
As of January 2021, the company is 88% owned by the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group and 12% by Shanghai Electric Corporation, collectively holding over 1 billion euros in financial debt. In the following months, the Chinese partner acquired 40% of the floating shares.
In 2021, the subsidiary Ansaldo Green Tech was founded, focusing on the transition to carbon-neutral generation technologies, currently led by CEO Vittorio Olcese. Starting in 2023, Daniela Gentile became the CEO of the subsidiary Ansaldo Nucleare.
On March 5, 2023, Fabrizio Fabbri was appointed as the new CEO, a role he officially assumed on April 1, 2023.
From Wikipedia’s article on Ansaldo Energia, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5