Carbounion Group

What Carbounion Group does

Carbounion Group is a privately held Czech holding founded in 1998 by Petr Paukner, who remains the 100% owner. Headquartered in Prague and operating through more than 20 subsidiaries with 455 full-time employees, it generated 395 million EUR in revenue and 20 million EUR in EBITDA in 2025, and is ranked 18th in the 'Czech Top 100'. The holding is structured around five business units: wholesale trading of energy commodities (coal, electricity, natural gas, biomass and EU ETS emission allowances) across eight Central European countries; electrical grid construction and maintenance spanning NN, VN and VVN voltage levels (Union Grid 66% owned with E.ON/EG.D, CB GRID, Elektro Wellmont, EG.D Montáže, Energetika Servis); rail freight forwarding and logistics (Carbosped and three subsidiaries); biomass processing and trading (CB-EKO, REDII-certified wood chips); and oxyhumolite-based specialty chemicals (Humatex) for agricultural and industrial export markets.

The holding's core technology combines a multi-commodity trading platform with vertically integrated grid construction capabilities. Union Grid executes projects exceeding 1,500 million CZK annually and holds ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 3834-2 and 1090 certifications, supporting design, manufacturing of steel structures, and field construction of substations and transmission lines including the V471/472 400 kV modernization. CB GRID employs drone-based conductor pulling for elevated safety on high-voltage construction. Trading operations span brown and black coal (originally from Severočeské doly and Sokolovská uhelná), Australian coking coal via BHP representation, electricity, gas and EU ETS allowances across Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Poland.

Carbounion's revenue model is a mix of transaction-fee commodity trading, professional-services grid construction, rail freight transaction fees, and specialty chemical exports. Distribution is entirely direct-B2B: utilities, power plants, municipalities, industrial energy consumers and distribution grid operators are served through in-house sales teams and JV channels such as EG.D Montáže (51% EG.D / 49% Union Grid) for EG.D's distribution territory. Major customers include ČEZ, ČEPS, EG.D, Severočeské doly, Veolia Energie ČR and Slovenské elektrárne. Pricing is per-contract and not publicly disclosed. The 2023 acquisition of approximately 10% stakes in Sokolovská uhelná and SUAS Group (~650 million CZK), alongside founding CB-EKO in 2020, signals an explicit diversification strategy as coal trading declines and renewable/biomass and grid construction become the primary growth engines.

Name

Carbounion Group

Legal name

CARBOUNION BOHEMIA, spol. s r.o.

Website

https://carbounion.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Carbounion Group is a Prague-based privately held Czech holding founded in 1998, operating through 20+ subsidiaries that trade energy commodities (coal, electricity, gas, biomass, EU ETS allowances) across Central Europe and build electrical grid infrastructure (NN/VN/VVN), with 2025 revenue of 395 million EUR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Trading and Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (42469), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Aggregator/Brokered Natural Gas Sales (Brokers, Marketers, Aggregators) (EUAAADAF)

Keywords

• Energy commodity trading
• Electrical grid construction
• Rail freight logistics
• Biomass energy supply
• Emission allowances trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Energy commodity trading: Carbounion trades coal (brown coal, black coal), electricity, natural gas, biomass, and EU ETS emission allowances as a major independent trader. Trading spans the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Poland. Historically the core revenue driver, though for the first time the group generated a larger share of profit from non-coal businesses.
2. Electrical grid construction and maintenance: Through Union Grid (66% owned), CB GRID, Elektro Wellmont, EG.D Montáže, and Energetika Servis, the group provides electrical infrastructure services including construction of substations, transmission lines (VN/VVN), and steel structures. Union Grid executes projects exceeding 1,500 million CZK annually. This is described as the fastest-growing business segment.
3. Rail freight and logistics: Carbosped provides domestic and international rail freight, forwarding, and logistics services for bulk commodities including coal, wood, chemicals, and waste. Operates across Central Europe with three subsidiaries.
4. Oxyhumolit products: Humatex mines and processes oxyhumolite (lignite-derived material) into humic and fulvic acid products (Dralig, Ořechové mořidlo, Foftehum) for agriculture, animal feed, and industrial applications. Majority of production is exported globally.
5. Wood chip biomass trading: CB-EKO purchases wood biomass, processes it into wood chips, and sells to power plants and heating plants in the Czech Republic, certified under REDII sustainability criteria.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carbounion Group is a Central European holding company that wholesale-trades energy commodities including coal (brown and black), electricity, natural gas, biomass, and EU ETS emission allowances. Through its subsidiaries, the group also constructs electrical distribution and transmission infrastructure (substations, VVN/VN/NN lines, steel structures), provides railway freight forwarding and bulk logistics, and processes oxyhumolite into humic acid products for industrial and agricultural use.

Product overview

Carbounion Group is a holding company comprising more than 20 independent firms operating as a significant independent energy commodity trader (electricity, gas, biomass, emission allowances, and coal), with integrated operations in power grid construction and substations including steel structure manufacturing, railway transportation and logistics, and renewable energy production. The portfolio includes: CARBOSPED for railway transport and logistics; Union Grid and its subsidiaries CB GRID, ELEKTRO WELLMONT, EG.D Montáže, and Energetika Servis for electrical infrastructure construction; CB-EKO for wood biomass and renewable energy; Humatex for oxyhumolite products; Emeran 1860 for coal trading; and CARBOUNION BOHEMIA as the core trading platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy commodity trading (electricity, natural gas, coal, biomass, EU ETS emission allowances) Wholesale trading of brown coal, black coal, electricity, natural gas, biomass, and EU ETS emission allowances to utilities, power plants, and industrial consumers across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Poland.
• Electrical infrastructure construction (Union Grid and subsidiaries) Design, construction, and maintenance of electrical substations, transformer stations, and overhead lines at NN, VN, and VVN voltage levels, plus in-house steel structure manufacturing via Energetika Servis and drone-based conductor pulling. Serves ČEPS, ČEZ Distribuce, and EG.D.
• NN/VN electrical installation services (Elektro Wellmont) Design, engineering, and installation of electrical energy distribution equipment at all voltage levels and public lighting, primarily for ČEZ Distribuce and EG.D in the Plzeň region.
• EG.D Montáže electro-installation services Electromechanical installation work at NN and VN levels on EG.D's distribution territory, including excavation and height work. The unit employs 100+ workers.
• Rail freight forwarding and bulk logistics (Carbosped and subsidiaries) Domestic and international rail freight, forwarding, and container logistics for bulk commodities (coal, wood, chemicals, waste) across Central Europe with connectivity to river and sea ports.
• Wood chip biomass supply (CB-EKO) Purchase, processing, and sale of wood chips certified under the EU REDII sustainability criteria to Czech power plants and heating plants including ČEZ (Poříčí, Hodonín), Veolia Energie ČR, Plzeňská teplárenská, United Energy Komořany, C-Energy Planá, Teplárna Strakonice, and Komaxo.
• Oxyhumolite / humic acid products (Humatex) Extraction and physical-chemical processing of oxyhumolite into sodium and potassium salts of humic and fulvic acids — Dralig, Ořechové mořidlo (Humitan), and Foftehum L/K — for agriculture, animal feed, industry, and environmental applications. Majority of production is exported globally.
• Brown coal fuel trading (Emeran 1860) Wholesale trading of lignite (brown coal) fuels to industrial enterprises, heating plants, and retail distributors.
• VVN/extra-high voltage power line and substation construction (CB GRID) Operation, maintenance, repair, and construction of critical infrastructure including very high and extra high voltage power lines and substations for the Czech transmission system operator (ČEPS). Uses drone-based conductor pulling technology.
• Steel structure manufacturing for power lines (Energetika Servis) Design, manufacture, and supply of steel constructions for power infrastructure at NN, VN, and VVN voltage levels, plus technical consulting services.

Quantifiable outcome

• First year in group history where non-coal businesses generated a larger share of profit than coal trading
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• EG.D (E.ON, E.ON Energie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014EG.D is a 34% minority shareholder in Union Grid s.r.o. (66% owned by Carbounion). Union Grid is Carbounion's primary vehicle for electrical infrastructure construction across all voltage levels. EG.D Montáže is a joint venture where EG.D holds 51% and Union Grid holds 49%, focusing on electroinstallation work on EG.D's distribution territory. Union Grid has been delivering services to EG.D since 2014.
• ČEZ, a.s.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorČEZ is a major business partner of Carbounion for coal trading and electricity trading. Carbounion exports brown coal from Severočeské doly and others to ČEZ. CB-EKO supplies wood chips to ČEZ power plants (Poříčí, Hodonín). Union Grid and CB GRID execute infrastructure projects for ČEZ Distribuce and ČEZ.
• Severočeské doly a.s.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeveročeské doly is one of Carbounion's major coal supply partners. Carbounion exports brown coal from Severočeské doly as a key part of its trading business. Carbosped provides rail freight services to Severočeské doly.
• ČEPS, a.s.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorČEPS is the Czech transmission system operator and a key customer for CB GRID's high-voltage (VVN) transmission line and substation construction projects. CB GRID has completed projects including the V471/472 400 kV line modernization.
• Slovenské elektrárne, a. s.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlovenské elektrárne is listed as a key business partner for electricity trading operations in Slovakia.
• Lesy České republiky, s.p.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a business partner, likely related to biomass/wood chip supply for CB-EKO operations.
• Pražská energetika, a. s.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a business partner for electricity trading operations in the Czech market.
• BHPminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarbounion served as a local representative for BHP for importing Australian coking coal into Central Europe (from 1999 onwards).

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PKN Orlen: Polish multi-energy group (refining, petrochemicals, power, gas) with wholesale energy trading and Unipetrol retail/distribution in Czech Republic. Comparable for Central European energy commodity trading and rail/freight adjacency via ORLEN KolTrans.
• Siemens Energy: Global broad incumbent in transmission grid technology, EPC and services. Overlaps with Carbounion's high-voltage grid construction business at the equipment, system and service layer, though at vastly different scale and scope.
• RWE Supply & Trading: One of Europe's largest energy traders with cross-commodity desks (power, gas, coal, emission allowances) and Central European presence. Comparable to Carbounion on multi-commodity trading scale and customer mix, though far larger and integrated with generation.
• E.ON Czech Republic (EG.D / E.ON Energie): Major European utility and Carbounion's JV partner in Union Grid (34%) and EG.D Montáže (51%). Comparable as a counterparty/partner model and as a broader incumbent in Czech grid and energy retail markets.

Direct peers

• EPH (Energetický a průmyslový holding): Major Central European energy holding with cross-border electricity/gas/coal trading, generation assets and infrastructure exposure. Directly comparable in scale, multi-commodity trading footprint, and integrated energy value-chain positioning.
• ELTODO: Czech electrical infrastructure contractor delivering grid, lighting and traction works for distributors including ČEZ Distribuce and EG.D. Direct competitor to Union Grid, CB GRID and Elektro Wellmont in the same customer base and voltage segments.
• Sev.en Energy: Czech-based private energy group combining coal mining and power generation with energy commodity trading across Central Europe. Highly comparable to Carbounion's coal-to-electricity value chain and its ownership profile (founder-led, private).
• Czech Coal Group (now part of Sev.en): Historical Czech brown-coal mining and trading group; direct peer on the coal trading and Czech brown-coal supply side that overlaps with Carbounion's Emeran 1860 and Severočeské doly export business.
• SAG Group (Stark Spannanlagenbau): Austrian-headquartered grid construction and energy infrastructure contractor serving DSO/TSO customers across Austria and Central Europe. Highly comparable to Carbounion's CB GRID and Union Grid VVN/VN execution capabilities.

Regional players

• ČD Cargo: Czech state-owned rail freight operator and dominant Central European rail carrier for bulk commodities including coal and chemicals. Direct adjacent competitor to Carbosped in Central European bulk rail logistics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CB-GRID-113806730008227
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carbounion

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Carbounion Group