In 2009, the transmission network was unbundled from Essent. In January 2009, German energy major, RWE AG, announced its intention to buy out all outstanding and issued shares of Essent. The deal, valued to be around 9.3 billion euros, would make Essent an operating company of RWE in the Netherlands and Belgium. On 30 September 2009, the deal was closed. Until 1 October 2009, the shares of Essent were owned by six Dutch provinces of Overijssel (18%), Groningen (6%), Noord-Brabant (30.8%), Drenthe (2.3%), Flevoland (0.02%) and Limburg (16%) and by more than 100 municipalities in these provinces and in the province of Friesland (the remaining 26%).