REpower announces financial figures for first quarter 2009

REpower Systems AG posted sales of € 300.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2009/10 compared to € 231.8 million in the same period of the previous year (comparison period 01 April to 30 June 2008).

Therewith, sales rose tight 30 per cent. The operating result (EBIT) increased moderately in the reporting period from € 10.2 million to € 10.7 million. After taxes and interest this results in positive net earnings of € 2.2 million after € 5.9 in the corresponding period last year.

In the period from April to June 2009, REpower Systems AG installed and recognised in income 83 wind turbines (previous year: 138 turbines) with a total rated power of 170 MW (previous year: 276 MW). At the end of the period under review, the order backlog amounted to 574 wind energy turbines (same period of previous year: 718 turbines) with a total rated power of 1.230,45 MW (same period of previous year: 1,522.60MW). This corresponds to a contractually confirmed volume of around € 1.45 billion (as per end of June 2008: € 1.61 billion).

REpower USA Corp., the wholly-owned subsidiary of REpower Systems AG will have a new US headquarters location beginning in early September.

The US office for all administrative, sales and project management functions, previously located in Portland, Oregon, will move to Denver, Colorado. Initially, the Denver office will be made up of about 25 relocating or newly hired employees. The staff level is expected to double within the next twelve months at the new Denver office, depending on the overall US wind energy market. The company will also maintain a presence in Portland.

REpower wins EDF onshore wind turbine contract

German wind turbine manufacturer REpower AG Systems has won a contract to supply turbines to an onshore wind farm in Stirlingshire being developed by EDF Energy Renewables.

The company is set to install and service 13 turbines for the Burnfoot Hill project in central Scotland, which is the first UK scheme being developed by the EDF Energy Renewables, a 50:50 partnership of sister companies EDF Energy and EDF Energies Nouvelles, formed in June 2008.

The Burnfoot Hill site is expected to have an output of 26 MW of energy and generate enough power for 14,500 homes when it becomes operational in the latter part of 2010.

The 2 MW turbines being developed for the site are being built at REpower’s custom designed factory in Germany and the company said that the turbines had been designed to "excel in high wind speeds in exposed locations".

Rick Eggleston, managing director of REpower UK, said: "Burnfoot Hill is an important win for REpower as it is the first onshore project for EDF Energy Renewables in the UK. We’re pleased that we can extend the very strong working relationship we had with EDF in the past into the new joint venture."

"Our MM 82 turbine will excel in the Scottish landscape. All our products offer intelligent and efficient design with maximum quality in every detail. The technology behind each turbine translates into an efficient and economical operation which will yield dividends in the years to come," he added.

The joint venture between the two EDF sister companies was formalised in June 2008 as a means of bringing together EDF Energies Nouvelles’ expertise in the renewable energy sector and EDF Energy’s 120MW portfolio of offshore and onshore wind farms in the UK.

At the start of the year, REpower completed the installation of 13 MM82 turbines at the Bicker Fen onshore wind farm in Lincolnshire and officially handed the site over to EDF Energy Renewables. The project had originally been developed by the Wind Prospect Group on behalf of EDF (see this newenergyfocus.com story).

Announcement of the successful tender comes one month after REpower was awarded its largest ever offshore agreement in a deal to supply turbines to Swedish energy firm Vattenfall’s proposed Ormonde wind farm in the Irish Sea.

REpower receives orders for wind farms in Italy

REpower Systems AG has signed two contracts for the delivery of 31 wind energy turbines of the 2MW (total rated output: 63.55 MW) in total with two project companies, majority-owned by TRE&P, a subsidiary of Tozzi Holding.

Furthermore, there is an option of a further 18 turbines. The turbines are destined for two wind farm projects in Italy: At Savignano Irpino wind farm (Puglia region), 20 REpower MM 92 turbines are planned to be installed. Additionally, an option for a further 18 has been agreed upon. For the Monte Mimiani project in Sicily, REpower will deliver eleven turbines of the same type. The construction work is planned to begin in the summer of next year, the commissioning shall take place before the end of 2010.

www.repower.de/index.php