The new Siemens Wind Power Division headquartered in Hamburg will start operations on October 1. “Hamburg is a highly attractive location and at the same time one of the world’s most important wind power centers. For that reason we will in the future be running our fast-growing wind power business from this city,” said Michael Suess, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Siemens Energy. “With our new organizational setup we’ll have a stronger regional alignment and greater customer intimacy. They are key prerequisites to continuing the success story of our wind power business in the future, too. Our starting position for that is very good: We can build on a record order backlog totaling almost 11 billion euros and, in offshore wind power plants, the fastest growing market sector, we’re world market leader.” In Germany alone, Siemens has already secured orders for six offshore wind power plants in the North and Baltic Sea with a combined capacity of 1300 megawatts (MW). It is anticipated that the work force of Siemens Wind Power in Hamburg will triple from the current 170 to over 500 by 2013. Worldwide Siemens has a work force of approximately 7800 in the wind power sector, with around 1000 in Germany.
Olaf Scholz, Mayor of Hamburg said: “Hamburg is the capital city of wind power in Germany. With the decision taken by Siemens AG we’re increasing the possibility of together turning the north German states into one of the world’s leading locations in this industry. The decision is good for Hamburg as a business location and good for Hamburg as an environmental capital. In the field of environmental protection we have to bank even more than before on technical innovations. My understanding of modern environmental policy is above all also linked with the ability to promote and implement technical innovations. I’m a fan and admirer of engineered environmental protection. Wind power is part of that.”
“For wind power business the industrialization of manufacturing and logistics geared toward reducing wind power costs through high-efficiency processes will play a decisive role in the future. Here, Felix Ferlemann as CEO of the Wind Power Division with the extensive experience he has accumulated in the automobile sector, will bring us a significant step forward,” added Suess. Particular importance will also be attached to regionalization in order to increase customer intimacy. Siemens will therefore in the future manage its wind power business below division level from three regional Business Units. Wind power business for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and for the European offshore market will be managed from Brande in Denmark. The new Business Unit EMEA will be headed by Jan Kjaersgaard, who was to date responsible for Siemens’ wind power business in the Amercias. Mark Albenze will be appointed CEO of the Business Unit responsible for the Americas headquartered in Orlando, Florida. He has been working at Siemens for Siemens Energy Inc. in Denver, USA, and was to date Vice President Power Systems Sales. Kay Weber will head the local Business Unit for the Region Asia-Pacific headquartered in Shanghai, China. He has been with Siemens for 20 years and was previously responsible for the Energy Service business for the Region Asia-Pacific. Wolfgang Hermann, to date CFO of the Siemens Industry Solution Division, will be appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Wind Power Division.
