Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Contents
Company Overview
Vestas Wind Systems A/S engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and maintenance of wind technology that uses the energy of the wind to generate electricity. It offers wind turbines and wind power systems. The company also provides planning, installation, operation, and maintenance services. Vestas Wind Systems A/S has a strategic partnership with Marafeq to develop wind energy projects in Syria. It operates in Europe, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Randers, Denmark. Revenues for the year 2010 rose 36%, to €6.9 billion, from nearly €5 billion in 2009, the company said. It expects revenues to hit €7 billion in 2011. Net profit rose 25% to about €156 million, up from about €125 million in 2009.
Vestas delivered 5,842 megawatts worth of wind turbines in 2010, compared to 4,764 megawatts delivered in 2009, the company said. The Global Wind Energy Council, based in Brussels, Belgium, said new wind turbine installations dropped to 35.8 gigawatts in 2010, from 38.6 gigawatts in 2009. Based on Vestas’ reported deliveries, the company’s world-wide marketshare rose to 16 percent in 2010, from 12 percent the previous year.
Key Financials
Key Facts
| Headquarter | Vestas Wind Systems A/S Alsvej 21 8940 Randers SV Denmark |
| Phone | (+45) 97 30 00 00 |
| Fax | (+45) 97 30 00 01 |
| vestas@vestas.com | |
| Website | http://www.vestas.com/ |
| Turnover (in million €) | 6,920 |
| Financial Year End | December |
| Number of employees | 23,252 |
Business Overview
Vestas Wind Systems A/S engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and maintenance of wind technology that uses the energy of the wind to generate electricity. It offers wind turbines and wind power systems. The company also provides planning, installation, operation, and maintenance services. Vestas Wind Systems A/S has a strategic partnership with Marafeq to develop wind energy projects in Syria. It operates in Europe, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Randers, Denmark. Its product range includes land and offshore wind turbines capable of generating between 850 kilowatts and 3 megawatts as well as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) products, supplying a range of monitoring and control functions, allowing the wind power plants to be remotely supervised. The Company is operational internationally through a network of subsidiaries.
To date, Vestas has installed over 41,400 wind turbines in around 70 countries on five continents. Along with this vast experience, the company has predicted that by 2020 as much as 10 per cent of the world’s electricity consumption will be generated by wind energy.
Product & Services
Vestas offers a complete portfolio of products and services to its customers which includes:
- Wind Project Planning - plan for a reliable, successful project, delivered on time and on budget
- Procurement - offering a broad product portfolio to offer the ideal turbines for all sites and conditions
- Construction - co-ordinating with the customer to supply, install and balance the wind power plant according to the specific profile of the project
- Operation and Service - work in partnership with the client to control and maintain the wind power plant to the highest possible standards
- Power Plant Optimization - Vestas uses predictive and preventive service and maintenance techniques, to reduce down time and optimise yield for the installed Vestas turbines
Turbine Portfolio
Vestas has an extensive portfolio of turbines which are each suited to specific conditions and requirements. Vestas wind turbines are checked and tested at their own test centres, after which the results are verified and certified by independent organisations.
Click on the product name to view the details:
Services Portfolio
Vestas provides Active Output Management service programme, or AOM for short, to ensure the highest possible output at all times. A number of different AOM packages available based on the needs of the specific project, are listed below:
- AOM 1000: For customers seeking maximum flexibility. With no base fee, a number of Vestas services are offered on a pay-as-you-go basis.
- AOM 2000: A low-cost way to reduce the risk of downtime. Turbine performance is sustained through regular maintenance, with the option of additional maintenance items.
- AOM 3000: For customers willing to share the risk factor. A complete field service package including parts (apart from main components) and labor is accessible to customers with more risk tolerance. Turbine reliability is maximised through expert scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
- AOM 4000: A complete package to maximise uptime and performance. A complete package including everything necessary (main components and material) to maximise uptime and performance. The service contract covers periods up to 10 years, suitable for customers who want the traditional time-based availability guarantee – of up to 97%. These high expectations are formalised through liquidated damages and bonus clauses in the contract.
- AOM 5000: A complete package to ensure minimised lost production. A complete package including everything necessary to maximise output but with further aligned incentives. An energy based availability guarantee is offered that aligns service and maintenance execution with low wind periods. The service contract covers periods up to 10 years, and energy based guarantees up to 97% (subject to site evaluation). These high expectations are formalised through liquidated damages and bonus clauses in the contract.
Organizational Structure
- Vestas has 14 business units, all reporting directly to the Executive Management.
- The presidents of the individual business units are responsible for the general day-to-day management of their respective areas of responsibility.
- Each unit has a Board of directors that holds meetings at least four times a year. Vestas’ Executive Management is a member of the business units’ Boards, thus ensuring close dialogue with the individual units.
- The Government coordinates production and sales – and prioritises development efforts so that the Group can implement the strategy defined by the Board of Directors in collaboration with the Executive Management. The Vestas Government holds weekly government meetings.
A schematic representation of the company structure is given below:
To view the details of an individual business unit, please click on the business unit name:
Employee Distribution
- Vestas recruit employees under the “People before megawatt” principle, because the costs of well-educated excess capacity are lower than the costs of remedying faults due to a rushed staff inflow caused by strong MW growth.
- The 23,252 employees have an average seniority of 3 years and 11 months.
- Key priority areas identified are training and, in particular, retention of new and existing employees as around 22% of the employees are having less than one year's seniority.
- Due to enhanced efficiency, improved turbine performance and economies of scale, going forward, Vestas expects its headcount to rise at a lower rate than its business volume.
- A prerequisite for sustaining progress is for Vestas to become a more international business with a much higher number of non-Danish employees in management positions. Furthermore, Vestas aims to have more women executives.
- In addition, Vestas also aims to have many nationalities at all locations in order to create a truly global business, which also has extensive local insight and understanding.
The following table provides the employee distribution of Vestas across geographies:
| Region/Department | Production | Sales | R&D | Others | Total |
| Europe & Africa | 7,579 | 4,509 | 1,515 | 1,522 | 15,125 |
| Americas | 1,479 | 1,278 | 189 | 0 | 2,946 |
| Asia-Pacific | 2,475 | 2,004 | 573 | 129 | 5,181 |
| Total | 11,533 | 7,791 | 2,277 | 1,651 | 23,252 |
Company Overview
Brief History
The following table provides a brief history of the developments of Vestas Wind Systems, starting from its inception in 1898.
| Timeline | Development |
| 1898 | Vestas founded by H.S. Hansen, a blacksmith, in the small town of Lem in Denmark. He and his son, Peder Hansen, manufactured steel windows for industrial buildings. |
| 1945 | Peder Hansen established the company VEstjyskSTålteknik A/S, whose name was shortened to Vestas. The new company, which initially made household appliances, started to produce agricultural equipment. |
| 1970s | During the second oil crisis, Vestas began to examine the potential of the wind turbine as an alternative source of clean energy. |
| 1979 | Vestas delivered the first wind turbines. The industry experienced a genuine boom at the start of the 1980s, but in 1986 Vestas was forced to suspend payments because the market in the United States was destroyed due to the expiration of a special tax legislation that provided advantageous conditions for the establishment of wind turbines. |
| 1986 | Large sections of Vestas were sold off and a new company called Vestas Wind Systems A/S was founded at the end of the year to concentrate exclusively on wind energy. |
| 1987 onwards | Vestas develops from a pioneer in the industry with a staff of around 60 people to become a global hi-tech and market-leading company employing more than 20,000 people. |
| 2004 | Vestas merged with another Danish wind turbine manufacturer, NEG Micon A/S. |
| 2005 | Ditlev Engel becomes President and CEO of the company. Less than a month after taking up his new position, he published his strategy for Vestas for 2005-2008: The Will to Win. This includes, among other things, a new vision for Vestas. This vision is Wind, Oil and Gas, stating that wind power is to be a source of energy on par with oil and gas. |
| 2007 | To strengthen our market leading position and to stress the fact that wind is an energy source on par with oil and gas, Vestas launched the new strategy: No. 1 in Modern Energy. At that time, Vestas had installed more than 33,500 wind turbines in 63 countries and on 5 continents. |
| 2010 | Vestas emphasized their intention with their new slogan - WIND, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US. With more than 41,000 turbines installed and 30 years of pure-play experience, the company predicted 10% of electricity by wind by 2020. Vestas takes pride in the unmatched diversity of capability and skills residing in more than 20,000 people worldwide, on one pure goal: generating the greatest and most sustainable return on wind for the customers. |
A comparative graph of emplyee distribution by function for 2006 and 2010 is given below:
Revenue Distribution
The following table gives the geopraphical break-up of revenue distribution for the year 2010:
| Geography | Revenue (m Eur) | % of Total Revenue |
| Europe & Africa | 4,162 | 60% |
| Americas | 1,626 | 23% |
| Asia Pacific | 1,132 | 16% |
| Total | 6,920 | 100% |
Market Overview
The following graph shows the market share of Vestas from 2004 to 2010
Reasons for decrease in market share:
- Emerging competitors in the wind energy space.
- Stiff competition for Vestas in China – Sinovel (21,9%), Goldwind (17,7%), and Dongfang (16,4%) - which are all of Chinese origin. China‘s main three suppliers hold about 60% stake in the home market.
- GE is providing a stiff competition in the american market.
- The German market, being one of the core countries in Vestas strategy, is showing signs of saturation.
Track record by Turbine Type
| Turbine Type | Installed in 2010 | Accumulated Installed | ||
| Number | MW | Number | MW | |
| V52-850 kW | 340 | 289 | 3,764 | 3,199 |
| V60-850 kW | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 |
| V80-1.8 MW | 0 | 0 | 1,016 | 1,829 |
| V80-2.0 MW | 267 | 534 | 2,981 | 5,962 |
| V82-1.5 MW | 0 | 0 | 213 | 320 |
| V82-1.65 MW | 273 | 450 | 2,883 | 4,757 |
| V90-1.8 MW | 269 | 484 | 572 | 1,029 |
| V90-2.0 MW | 763 | 1,527 | 3,286 | 6,544 |
| V90-3.0 MW | 834 | 2,502 | 2,170 | 6,510 |
| V100-1.8 MW | 20 | 36 | 20 | 36 |
| V112-3.0 MW | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 26,511 | 13,909 |
| Total | 2,784 | 5,842 | 43,433 | 44,114 |
Performance Details
The following table shows the Vestas performance from 2006 to 2010:
| Particulars | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Order intake (bnEUR) | 8.6 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 5.5 | 4.9 |
| Order intake (MW) | 8,673 | 3,072 | 6,019 | 5,613 | 5,559 |
| Produced and shipped (MW) | 4,057 | 6,131 | 6,160 | 4,974 | 4,313 |
| Deliveries (MW) | 5,842 | 4,764 | 5,580 | 4,502 | 4,239 |
| Revenue (m EUR) | 6,920 | 5,079 | 5,904 | 3,828 | 4,179 |
| Gross Margin (%) | 17 | 16.5 | 19.1 | 15.3 | 11.1 |
M&A Activities
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Geographic Presence
Vestas has delivered 5,842 MW in 66 countries of the world across different continents:
- Europe and Africa - 3,111 MW
- Americas - 1,482 MW
- Asia-Pacific - 1,249 MW
The following table provides the detailed presence of Vestas in various countries:
| Country/Region | Number | MW | Country/Region | Number | MW | Country/Region | Number | MW | ||
| Argentina | 19 | 11,8 | Germany | 5,879 | 7,405.13 | Norway | 27 | 15,88 | ||
| Aruba | 10 | 30 | Greece | 698 | 944.32 | Peru | 1 | 0,25 | ||
| Australia | 554 | 1060,75 | Hungary | 49 | 105.45 | Philippines | 20 | 33 | ||
| Austria | 224 | 386,56 | India | 4,231 | 2,434.59 | Poland | 204 | 422,625 | ||
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 1,7 | Iran | 37 | 16,38 | Portugal | 347 | 628,9 | ||
| Belgium | 120 | 274,67 | Israel | 3 | 0,455 | Republic of Ireland | 546 | 555,90 | ||
| Brazil | 125 | 204,43 | Italy | 2,235 | 2,485.35 | Romania | 98 | 271,66 | ||
| Bulgaria | 110 | 292,2 | Jamaica | 33 | 38.93 | Russia | 3 | 1,1 | ||
| Canada | 1,021 | 1683,10 | Japan | 379 | 509,98 | Slovakia | 4 | 2,64 | ||
| Cape Verde | 9 | 2,55 | Jordan | 5 | 1,125 | South Africa | 3 | 4.21 | ||
| Caribbean Islands | 2 | 0,2 | Kenya | 6 | 5,1 | South Korea | 104 | 166,485 | ||
| Chile | 64 | 116,68 | Latvia | 1 | 0,85 | Spain | 2,696 | 3,587.86 | ||
| China | 2,615 | 2,964,05 | Lithuania | 6 | 18 | Sri Lanka | 5 | 3 | ||
| Costa Rica | 71 | 50,55 | Luxemburg | 13 | 9,4 | Sweden | 1,012 | 1,117.63 | ||
| Croatia | 21 | 47,95 | Malaysia | 1 | 0,15 | Switzerland | 17 | 24,56 | ||
| Cuba | 4 | 3,8 | Mauritius | 1 | 0,1 | Taiwan | 50 | 86,1 | ||
| Cyprus | 41 | 82 | Mexico | 56 | 103.13 | Thailand | 1 | 0,15 | ||
| Czech Republic | 44 | 64,47 | Morocco | 84 | 50,4 | Turkey | 139 | 375.91 | ||
| Denmark | 4,934 | 2,564.56 | Netherlands | 1,280 | 1,506.35 | USA | 11,026 | 8,116.31 | ||
| Egypt | 124 | 79,075 | New Caledonia | 20 | 4,5 | United Arabian Emirates | 1 | 0,85 | ||
| Finland | 38 | 18,45 | New Zealand | 219 | 309,96 | United Kingdom | 1,137 | 1,674.95 | ||
| France | 586 | 1,104.95 | North Korea | 2 | 0,18 | Uruguay | 15 | 30 |
SWOT Analysis
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Recent Developments
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S Receives 102 MW Order in California, USA
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S has received a Supply-only firm and unconditional order for 34 V90-3.0 MW wind turbines for California, USA, from Brookfield Renewable Power and Coram California Development Management, LLC. Delivery is scheduled for second half of 2011 and commissioning is expected by late 2011.
- Vestas Announces 49-MW Order, 250-MW Frame Deal in China
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S announced that it signed a 49-MW contract for delivery of V80 turbines and a frame agreement for another 250 MW with Chinese Inner Mongolia Guibang Shengtai Investment Co Ltd. (GSI). The turbines will be installed in a project in Huitengxile in the Chinese Inner Mongolia autonomous region. They are due for delivery in the third quarter of 2011. Vestas will deliver the turbines and supervise their installation and commissioning. It will as well provide a VestasOnline Business SCADA solution and service and maintenance.
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S Reports Earnings Results for the First Quarter of 2011; Provides Earnings Guidance for the First Half Year of 2011
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S reported earnings results for the first quarter of 2011. For the quarter, the company reported revenue of EUR 1,060 million, an increase of 25% relative to the first quarter of 2010, and as announced realized a loss. The EBIT margin fell from 4.6% to 6.5%. The development confirms that revenue and earnings may show major quarter-on-quarter fluctuations depending on the capacity utilization and the type of projects handed over. The free cash flow was improved compared to the first quarter of 2010 by EUR 116 million to EUR 431 million. The first half year of 2011 is expected to break even against an EBIT loss of EUR 219 million during the first half year of 2010.
Key Executives
Vestas has 14 business units, all reporting directly to the Executive Management. The presidents of the individual business units are responsible for the general day-to-day management of their respective areas of responsibility.
| Executive | Designation |
| Ditlev Engel | President and CEO, Vestas Wind Systems A/S |
| Henrik Nørremark | Executive Vice President and CFO, Vestas Wind Systems A/S |
| Anders Søe-Jensen | President, Vestas Offshore, Denmark |
| Bjarne Ravn Sørensen | President, Vestas Control Systems, Denmark |
| Finn Strøm Madsen | President, Vestas Technology R&D, Denmark |
| Hans Jørn Rieks | President, Vestas Central Europe, Germany |
| Jens Tommerup | President, Vestas China, China |
| Juan Araluce | President, Vestas Mediterranean, Spain |
| Klaus Steen Mortensen | President, Vestas Northern Europe, Sweden |
| Knud Bjarne Hansen | President, Vestas Towers, Denmark |
| Martha Wyrsch | President, Vestas Americas, USA |
| Ole Borup Jakobsen | President, Vestas Blades, Denmark |
| Phil Jones | President, Vestas Spare Parts & Repair, Denmark |
| Roald Steen Jakobsen | President, Vestas People & Culture, Denmark |
| Sean Sutton | President, Vestas Asia Pacific, Singapore |
| Søren Husted | President, Vestas Nacelles, Denmark |
