Germany: Nordex aims for profitable growth with Acciona Windpower

At its Capital Markets Day in Frankfurt, Nordex SE (ISIN: DE000A0D6554) presented its medium-term strategic targets for the period through 2018. These plans are based on the assumption that it will be able to merge its operating business with that of Acciona Windpower (AWP) at the beginning of 2016. Nordex has already applied for antitrust clearance of the acquisition of AWP.

By pooling their activities, Nordex and AWP aim to establish a global player which is well positioned to face future market challenges. Both companies are an almost perfect fit for each other in terms of markets, products and sites, meaning that they will be able to offset the effects of possible fluctuation in regional demand even more effectively. With their combined product ranges, they will be able to address the typical requirements of customers in established wind power markets as well as in emerging markets.

The overarching goal being pursued by the new and larger Nordex SE will be to achieve a substantial reduction in the cost of energy from wind power. The cost of energy is to be lowered by 15 - 18% by 2018 through more efficient turbines and reduced product costs. This will be one of the key levers for increasing sales to the target mark of EUR 4.2 - 4.5 billion over the next three years. The two companies, which are currently still operating separately, are targeting sales of EUR 2.4 billion (Nordex) and EUR 1.0 billion (AWP) in 2015.

The Management Board expects that, as a joint entity, the group will be able to achieve an EBITDA margin of over 10% by 2018, including around 60% of the synergy benefits of EUR 95 million per year expected from 2019 onwards. The Management Board particularly expects to be able to derive synergy benefits from successful joint marketing activities. In contrast, cost synergies are not the core aim of the acquisition.

“Nordex and AWP are an ideal fit for each other. We complement each other in key areas and there is only little overlap. This will make the transformation of the two companies into a single group easier and allow it to bear fruit quickly,” says Nordex CEO Lars Bondo Krogsgaard. Both companies are already working on preparations for the merger, which is to be completed around 18 months after clearance by competition authorities is received.