By Markus Wacket
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has invited leading European banks to Berlin for a summit to discuss financing problems facing the green power industry, his ministry said on Thursday.
The talks, scheduled for December 15, aim to ensure that the "enormous growth and investment potential" in the industry is not destroyed due to short-term considerations, Gabriel's spokesman Michael Schroeren told Reuters.
Among those invited are German lenders like Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, Commerzbank as well as foreign competitors like Royal Bank of Scotland.
Companies and industry lobbies from all quarters of the green power sector had also been invited, Schroeren added.
The move follows reports of increasing wariness among banks to take on exposure to renewable energy firms.
On Wednesday, shares in German solar energy systems maker Conergy fell around 15 percent after the company said Dresdner Bank had been left with a big chunk of shares from a 400 million euro ($504.7 million) capital increase.
The German wind power industry is particularly dependent on external financing for building offshore installations. Since the financial crisis broke, doubts have been raised about whether a number of projects remain viable.
(Writing by Dave Graham)
