Imperial Continental Gas Association

The Company was formed by Sir Moses Montefiore[1] and some of his colleagues based in London in 1824 as the Imperial Continental Gas Association to establish gas utilities in other counties.[2] It commenced operations distributing gas in Hannover in 1825 and providing gas lighting in Berlin in 1826 under the supervision of the Prussian Count Eduard of Dyhrn-Waldenburg-Schoenau.[3] During the course of the 19th century it established gas works in Antwerp, Brussels, Berlin and Vienna.[4] Its operations in Vienna began in the mid-1840s; the head office from 1883 to 1902 was at the Palais Epstein.[5]

Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet was general manager from 1824.[6] The noted philanthropist Goodwin Newton of Barrells Hall, and Glencripesdale Estate was Director and Chairman for a long period in the late nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century Sir Henry Birchenough the future president of the British South Africa Company also served as a director of the company.[7]

It established the Westergasfabriek gas works in Amsterdam in 1883.[8]

In 1928 it established Distrigas, the main gas distributor in Belgium, which is now owned by Eni.[9] During World War I its operations in Berlin were nationalised by the German Government.[10]

In 1969 the Company acquired all the shares in Calor Group that it did not already own.[11]

In 1986 it rejected a bid from Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation, a company controlled by the Barclay brothers.[12] Instead in 1987 it broke itself up into Calor Group (now owned by SHV) and Contibel (now owned by Tractebel).[13]