KNAUBER

What KNAUBER does

KNAUBER is a family-owned German energy company headquartered in Bonn, with continuous operation dating to 1884, making it one of the longer-tenured regional energy providers in Germany. The company operates a horizontally diversified energy portfolio organized through wholly-owned subsidiaries including Knauber Mineralöl GmbH & Co. KG (heating oil), Knauber Erdgas GmbH (natural gas and electricity), and Knauber Gas GmbH & Co. KG (LNG/Bio-LNG fuel stations). Core activities span residential and commercial energy retail (electricity from hydropower, natural gas including 15% and 100% biogas blends, heating oil, wood pellets), renewable energy solutions (modular PV and storage packages with wallbox integration), alternative mobility fuels (a Bio-LNG refueling station network of at least 17 sites on German highways, KlimaDiesel25 HVO-based diesel substitute), wholesale LPG trading (propane, butane, Bio-LPG via Antwerp-Rhine inland shipping to a Duisburg distribution hub), and e-mobility infrastructure including Hypercharger fast-charging stations.

The business model is multi-stream: residential customers subscribe to fixed-price or flexible electricity/gas tariffs via knauber.de's postcode-based calculators and self-service portal, pay per-liter unit pricing for heating oil and wood pellets with CO2-compensated delivery as an option, or one-time fees for PV/storage installations with promotional discounts (up to €1,500). Commercial and industrial customers are served through a field-sales motion for SLP and RLM-metered electricity/gas supply, contracting solutions, LPG wholesale contracts with spot/formula/fixed pricing, and fleet fueling via Knauber fuel cards with cross-acceptance across AS 24, Verbio, GasCom, and BayWa networks. Revenue is therefore a mix of subscription recurring revenue (utility tariffs), transaction-fee revenue (LNG/LPG/KlimaDiesel), one-time license revenue (heating oil, pellets, PV installations), and managed-services revenue (contracting).

Customer base segments across residential households, small-to-mid commercial enterprises, fleet operators, LPG wholesalers, and energy-intensive industrial consumers, all anchored in Germany (DE). The go-to-market combines direct digital self-service for residential customers, personalized advisory for commercial clients, a physical highway refueling network for fleet operators, and wholesale LPG distribution for industrial buyers. The company has registered certifications including DIN 51603-1, ENplus, DINplus, RAL-Gütesiegel, GEG-compliance for biogas blends, and Grüner Strom-Label.

Name

KNAUBER

Legal name

Carl Knauber Holding GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://knauber.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KNAUBER is a family-owned German energy company headquartered in Bonn providing residential and commercial energy supply (electricity, natural gas, heating oil, wood pellets), renewable solutions (PV/storage), alternative mobility fuels (Bio-LNG network, KlimaDiesel), wholesale LPG trading, and e-mobility infrastructure to households, SMEs, fleet operators, and industrial customers across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales (Ökostrom): Sale of eco-electricity sourced from 100% hydropower to residential and commercial customers. Revenue is generated through subscription-based tariffs with monthly base fees and consumption-based (per kWh) pricing. Two primary tariff lines: flexible 3-month contracts and 12-month fixed contracts with price guarantees.
2. Natural Gas Sales (Erdgas): Sale of natural gas to residential and commercial customers. Multiple tariff tiers include Flex (variable pricing), Sicher12 (12-month fixed), Bio15 (15% biogas blend), and Bio100 (100% biogas). Revenue is generated via subscription contracts with monthly base fees and consumption-based pricing.
3. Heating Oil (Heizöl): Retail sale of heating oil (DIN standard, low-sulfur) and premium 'Sparheizöl' to residential customers. One-time purchase transactions at per-liter unit pricing, with optional CO2-compensated delivery. Delivery options include standard, express (48h), and emergency ('Notfalllieferung') service tiers.
4. Wood Pellets (Holzpellets): Sale of ENplus/DINplus certified wood pellets in bulk (loose) and bagged (sackware) formats. Customers order by ton/pallet quantities with optional add-on services such as silo cleaning, ash box emptying, hose length extension, and delivery time-slot selection. CO2-compensated delivery included.
5. Photovoltaic and Storage Solutions (PV/Speicher): Sale and installation of complete photovoltaic systems with battery storage for residential and commercial properties. Offered as modular packages. Revenue is generated through one-time product and installation fees, with ongoing service and maintenance.
6. LNG / Bio-LNG Station Network: Operation of a network of LNG and Bio-LNG fueling stations for heavy-duty trucks (LKW) along German highways. Revenue is generated per-liter/transactions as fleet operators fuel at Knauber stations. Strategic partnerships with 24-Autohöfe and cross-acceptance agreements with AS 24, Verbio, GasCom, and BayWa expand the network reach.
7. LPG Trading (Flüssiggas Groβhandel): Wholesale trading of liquefied petroleum gas (propane, butane, Bio-LPG, gas mixtures) to large wholesalers, industrial enterprises, and energy-intensive large-volume consumers. Products sourced via international trade routes (Antwerp) and transported via inland shipping along the Rhine. Flexible pricing options include spot, formula, and fixed-price contracts.
8. E-Mobility (Ladestationen): Operation of electric vehicle charging stations ('Hypercharger') at company locations. Revenue generated per charging session. Services also include wallbox packages for residential customers and THG quota ( GHG quota) management for e-vehicle owners.
9. KlimaDiesel: Sale of KlimaDiesel25, a climate-friendly diesel substitute for commercial vehicles, through BFT-partner gas stations. Revenue is generated per-liter unit pricing.
10. Contracting: Energy contracting solutions for business customers, providing complete energy systems (heating, power) as managed services under long-term contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Knauber is a family-owned German energy retailer and solutions provider that sells electricity, natural gas (including biogas blends), heating oil, wood pellets, and heat electricity to residential and commercial customers. The company also installs photovoltaic systems with battery storage, operates LNG and Bio-LNG refueling stations for trucks along German highways, supplies LPG to industrial and wholesale customers, and provides E-mobility charging infrastructure alongside sustainability and contracting services for businesses.

Product overview

Knauber is a German energy company based in Bonn offering a comprehensive portfolio of home and business energy solutions. The core product lines include electricity (Ökostrom) from hydropower, natural gas (Erdgas) including biogas variants, heating oil (Heizöl), wood pellets (Holzpellets), and heating electricity (Wärmestrom) for heat pumps and storage heaters. The company has expanded into mobility solutions with LNG/Bio-LNG refueling stations for trucks, E-mobility charging infrastructure including Hypercharger fast charging stations, and sustainable fuels like KlimaDiesel. For businesses, Knauber provides LPG trading and supply, ProKlima sustainability consulting, contracting services, lubricants, and fleet card solutions with cross-acceptance at multiple station networks. An online customer portal (energieportal.knauber.de) enables contract management, billing, and consumption monitoring. The product architecture combines standardized tariff products (flexible and fixed options) with physical delivery of energy products and installation services for solar and charging solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Knauber Gas: LNG and Bio-LNG fuel station operations for commercial transport
• ProKlima
• Knauber Klimawald
• Knauber LPG Trading & Supply
• KlimaDiesel
• GrüneWärme
• Ökostrom
• GrünAktiv

Products and services

• Ökostrom (Eco-Electricity)
• Erdgas (Natural Gas)
• Wärmestrom / GrüneWärme (Heat Electricity)
• Heizöl (Heating Oil)
• Holzpellets (Wood Pellets)
• Photovoltaik und Speicher (Photovoltaic and Storage)
• LNG/Bio-LNG Tankstellen (Refueling Stations)
• E-Mobilität / Wallbox (E-Mobility and EV Charging)
• LPG Trading & Supply
• KlimaDiesel
• Bio-Flüssiggas / Tankgas (Bio-LPG)
• ProKlima (Sustainability and CO2 Consulting)
• Contracting
• Schmierstoffe (Lubricants)

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 binding of 3,636 tonnes over 30 years from Klimawald project
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AS 24coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Knauber entered into a partnership with AS 24 (a pan-European tank service company) enabling AS 24 fleet customers to pay at all Knauber Bio-LNG stations across Germany using their AS 24 fuel card. This cross-acceptance agreement simplifies billing and route planning for logistics companies operating across both networks.
• GasCom (GasCom-Stationen)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2026Knauber Gas customers can now pay with their Knauber LNG fuel card at GasCom stations, and GasCom customers can use their cards at Knauber Bio-LNG stations. This cross-acceptance partnership between the two Bio-LNG providers creates a unified network effect for fleet operators in the Rhineland logistics region.
• VerbiocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 April 2025Verbio and Knauber Gas GmbH & Co. KG signed a cooperation for cross-acceptance of their Bio-LNG tank cards. Knauber cards are now accepted at all Verbio stations and BayWa stations, and Verbio cards are accepted at all Knauber Bio-LNG stations. This significantly expands the effective refueling network for customers of both providers.
• Shell PANOLINcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 April 2024Knauber serves as a strategic distribution partner for Shell PANOLIN, a brand of biodegradable lubricants. Knauber distributes PANOLIN products (biologically degradable lubricants) to industrial and commercial customers across Germany, leveraging Knauber's established commercial customer base and logistics network.
• 24-Autohöfe (24-TOTAL Autohöfe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnauber and 24-Autohöfe have developed a joint LNG/Bio-LNG station network across Germany, with stations co-located at 24-TOTAL Autohof highway service areas. This long-term strategic partnership has produced at least 5 joint station openings (Cloppenburg, Vöhringen, Lutterberg, Mühldorf am Inn, Wörrstadt) with more planned. Both are family-owned Mittelstand companies with aligned sustainability goals.
• HGK ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnauber collaborates with HGK Shipping, one of Europe's leading inland shipping companies in the energy and bulk cargo sector, for the transport of LPG imports from Antwerp along the Rhine to Duisburg. This partnership secures stable logistics capacity for Knauber's LPG trading operations and ensures reliable supply to national distribution points.
• BayWaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the Verbio cross-acceptance agreement, Knauber tank cards are also accepted at BayWa stations, extending the effective network reach for Knauber fleet customers through this indirect partnership.
• woodifyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnauber partners with the Bonn-based company woodify to lease and protect a 17.34-hectare section of a 350-hectare forest regeneration project in the Oberberg district. The forest is protected for at least 30 years and is expected to bind 3,636 tonnes of CO2. woodify developed the climate protection concept in collaboration with the Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE).
• K&L-VerlagminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnauber partners with K&L-Verlag for traffic safety education initiatives in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, supporting child pedestrian safety training and road safety awareness campaigns.
• Jazzfest BonnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnauber serves as climate sponsor (Klimasponsor) for Jazzfest Bonn, compensating the festival's CO2 emissions and supporting the event's first-ever CO2 balance sheet in 2024. This partnership supports regional cultural engagement and sustainability positioning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• E.ON: Germany's largest multi-utility serving millions of residential and commercial customers with electricity, gas, and energy services. Directly comparable to KNAUBER across electricity and gas tariff offerings and energy transition services, but at vastly greater national scale.
• EnBW: Major German multi-utility with comparable electricity, gas, heating, and PV/e-mobility consumer offerings. Direct competitor to KNAUBER in the southwestern German regional energy market and in residential PV/storage.
• RWE: Large German utility with significant renewable generation and energy retail operations. Overlaps with KNAUBER in residential/commercial electricity and gas supply and increasingly in energy transition services.
• Shell (Shell PANOLIN partner): Global energy major where KNAUBER is strategic distribution partner for Shell PANOLIN biodegradable lubricants. Comparable in alternative fuels, lubricants distribution, and Bio-LNG/hydrogen transition ambition, though Shell is a global player.
• Vattenfall: European energy retailer with significant German residential and commercial operations in electricity, gas, and heat. Comparable to KNAUBER across consumer energy products and energy transition services, but with pan-European scale.

Regional players

• Stadtwerke Bonn: The local municipal utility in Bonn serving residential and commercial customers with electricity, gas, and district heating. The most direct geographic competitor to KNAUBER's Bonn-anchored retail energy business.
• RheinEnergie: Regional Cologne/Bonn energy utility providing residential and commercial electricity, gas, and heating services. Comparable regional-utility footprint in the same Rhineland market as KNAUBER.
• Gasag: Berlin-based regional gas utility serving residential and commercial customers with natural gas and increasingly with biogas blends and heat solutions. Comparable in gas-led multi-product consumer offerings.
• MVV Energie: German regional energy company with a comparable conventional + renewable energy mix, serving residential and commercial customers with electricity, gas, district heating, and energy services. Similar mid-sized Mittelstand positioning.

Direct peers

• Verbio: German biofuel producer and Bio-LNG/Bio-CNG station operator with cross-card acceptance agreements with KNAUBER. Closest peer in Bio-LNG infrastructure and alternative transport fuels; Verbio also competes for fleet customers in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Knauber.de/?locale=de_DE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knauber
• Instagraminstagram.com/knauber.energie
• TikToktiktok.com/@knauber.energie

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KNAUBER