juwi focuses on consolidation to become ‘crisisproof’

Following a challenging 2012, German renewable energy specialist juwi has restructured to focus on its core business with an emphasis on consolidation in order to prepare for 2013.

According to the company’s founders Fred Jung and Matthias Willenbacher, “We have accepted the challenge, put a new company structure in place and made the firm crisisproof”.

As part of the restructuring, the company moved away from having separate divisions for solar, wind and bioenergy and moved towards “a comprehensive, regional perspective on markets and consumers”. It is now able to offer its business partners tailor-made solutions in the renewable energy sector all under one roof.

In 2012 juwi pulled out of several businesses including the development of wood-fired power plants and reduced some of its activities such as its business activities in biogas. The company also cut its workforce as part of the streamlining process.

Jung and Willenbacher commented: "Although we also had to accept painful cuts that unfortunately were associated with the reduction of jobs, it has been shown that our company's aim of a decentralized energy supply, which is based on 100% renewable energies, is still the right way to go. juwi's 1,800 employees worldwide will continue working on the energy turnaround. Prospectively, the company will continue to grow, although more moderately than in previous years. The number of employees will remain largely stable".

In 2012 juwi posted a turnover of €1.1 billion (US$1.5 billion) which was up by 11% compared with the previous year. Similar rates of increases are expected for the next three years, helped by the consolidation. According to juwi’s Chief Financial Officer Martin Winter, projections indicate that the company’s total turnover will rise to €1.5 billion by 2015.

Moreover, wind energy in Germany as well as the international project development business which is predominantly in the fields of wind and solar energy are expected to account for most of the turnover.