Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11624 – BAM / MAINOVA / MAINOVA WEBHOUSE) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-08-02
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Germany, Hesse, computer centre, consultancy, economic concentration, electricity supply, gas supply, heating, investment company, merger control, services of general interest








C_202404905EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/4905


2.8.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11624 – BAM / MAINOVA / MAINOVA WEBHOUSE)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/4905)


1.   
On 25 July 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Mainova AG (‘Mainova’, Germany), controlled by the City of Frankfurt,










—


BlackRock Alternatives Management, LLC. (‘BAM’, USA), controlled by BlackRock, Inc. (USA),










—


Mainova WebHouse GmbH (‘MWH’ or ‘Target’, Germany), currently controlled by Mainova.




Mainova and BAM will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of MWH.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Mainova: German utilities supplier with a focus on the federal state of Hesse, which caters various utilities, i.e., electricity, natural gas, heat and water and other energy-related services,










—


BAM: American investment management company, which offers portfolio construction, asset management and investment advisory services. BAM controls and manages investment decisions of BlackRock Global Infrastructure Fund IV SCSp (‘BGIF IV’), a Luxembourg special limited partnership established as a fund focusing on investments in the digital, transport, energy, and power infrastructure value chain. BAM is an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock Inc.






3.   

The business activities of the undertaking MWH are the following: German company active in the planning, construction and operation of data centres in the greater Frankfurt region in Germany.



4.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


5.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11624 – BAM / MAINOVA / MAINOVA WEBHOUSE
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4905/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)