Vestas CEO: Europe failing with renewable energy plan

“It is a little bit of madness to see that the solutions we provide for customers have never been so valuable, but we are losing money,” Henrik Andersen tells Bloomberg News.
Arkivfoto: Henrik Andersen, adm. direktør i Vestas | Photo: Vestas / PR
Arkivfoto: Henrik Andersen, adm. direktør i Vestas | Photo: Vestas / PR
BY MARKETWIRE, TRANSLATED BY DANIEL FRANK CHRISTENSEN

Europe is is failing to manifest its build-out plans for renewable energy due to rising costs, says Vestas Chief Executive Henrik Andersen to Bloomberg News during an interview in Davos.

Andersen chastises European policymakers for shirking their responsibility to remove barriers for cleaner energy developers, which he asserts should be ”building like crazy” to fulfill the EU’s renewable capacity targets.

In connection with last year’s COP27 summit in Cairo, Egypt, Vestas also mentioned that developments totaling hundreds of gigawatts are caught up in protracted approval procedures, saying that solely in the EU, capacity stuck in bureaucratic red tape exceeds by fourfold the volume under development.

The CEO also says that, with power prices currently so high, expensive construction ought not hinder development.

Over the last few years, the OEM has had a tough time with both surging costs of materials and supply chain troubles – woes the manufacturer has tried to offset by raising prices on wind turbines.

Vestas, Andersen asserts, has become ”disciplined” in regard to product pricing despite receding orders, and the business will soon be shorn up by such effort. Next month, Andersen will expectedly release financial guidance for this year.

“It is a little bit of madness to see that the solutions we provide for customers have never been so valuable, but we are losing money,” Andersen tells the media:

“It’s just tough.” 

Scholz backs EU subsidies in response to US climate package

Former top profiles from CIP and Vestas launch energy fund



Share article

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay ahead of development by receiving our newsletter on the latest sector knowledge.

Newsletter terms

Front page now

On June 1, Senvion's former CFO Manav Sharma started as US country manager for Nordex. Soon he will have a new factory at his disposal. | Foto: Senvion

Nordex restarts production in the US

For subscribers

Further reading