juwi pushes energy transition all around the world

It has been a successful year for the German juwi group. Thanks to its global presence and expertise the specialist for renewable energies has consolidated its position among the world’s leading Engineering, Procurement and  Construction (EPC) companies in the photovoltaic sector. juwi-CEO Matthias Willenbacher sees this as a success of the company’s internationalization strategy: “We have successfully established juwi in the global boom markets for solar energy. We are able to realize projects all around the world within a remarkably short time.” In the years to come juwi will continue to benefit from the booming expansion of the photovoltaic industry in Asia, South Africa, India, the Gulf Region and Latin America.

More good news are coming from juwi’s wind sector: In Germany, the company reasserted its pole position as the leading onshore wind project developer. “With about 350 megawatts of newly installed capacity in a very contested market environment, we are very happy to have successfully defended this position”, Willenbacher continues. Thanks to its international presence and diversification the prospects for 2014 remain positive for the juwi group.
An impressive amount of globally realized projects characterized the year 2013. Many of them were lighthouse projects.

In Thailand, for example, juwi built five solar parks. They have a total capacity of 48 megawatts (MW) and a total module area of 315,000 square meters. The solar parks produce 70 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually: Enough for more than 30,000 households.

In the United States, juwi’s subsidiary juwi solar Inc. developed and constructed the 19.3 MW PSEG Badger 1 Solar Farm west of Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona Public Service Company (APS), the state’s largest and longest serving  electric utility will purchase the electricity produced by the facility through a 30-year agreement. Badger 1 Solar will generate enough energy to meet the electricity needs of approximately 3,560 homes. juwi will also perform operation and maintenance services for the project.

In the UK, juwi helped the local company KL Technologies to cut its energy costs. The combined solar and wind power plant in Kings Lynn covers 80 percent of the company’s energy needs. juwi’s subsidiary in Birmingham already built the company’s solar plant in Estuary Road in June 2012. This year the renewables concept has been completed with the construction of a 61-metre (200ft) wind turbine. “We save money and secure jobs by stabilising our energy costs”, says Mark Hamilton, Financial Director at KL Technologies. “The project pays for itself.”

In Japan, the joint venture between juwi and the Japanese company Shizen Energy Inc. commissioned three solar parks in 2013, another two utility scale parks are currently under construction. They are scheduled to be  commissioned at the beginning of next year. Construction works on two further solar projects are also scheduled for  the first half of 2014. The two projects have a combined capacity of 20 MWp. “Japan is a fantastic market for solar energy and our Japanese team has built great trust with local authorities, land owners and investors”, says Amiram Roth-Deblon, juwi Regional Director Asia Pacific and Representative Director of juwi Shizen Energy. The country is currently dramatically expanding its renewable energy sector. Japan is aiming for 20 percent renewables in 2020. Therefore, the land of the rising sun has introduced the world’s highest feed-in tariff for solar power. “juwi Shizen Energy has a well filled project pipeline und will make a huge contribution to Japan’s transition towards a sustainable  economy”, Amiram Roth-Deblon continues.

In Kenya, juwi’s Off-Grid Division installed the so called Solar-Fuel-Saver. The selfdeveloped intelligent controller is directly coupled to the existing diesel generator mini-grid. What makes this concept unique is that it is the first hybrid system that does not need batteries, making it up to 60 percent cheaper than battery-operated Off-Grid systems. The solar plant on Mfangano island is coupled with the existing diesel generator and is directly injecting its power into the  local mini-grid. Consequently, this reduces the power demand on the generator. Together with local partners the  general concept was elaborated and then implemented on the island.

In Germany, juwi remains on the pole position as the leading onshore wind park developer. In 2013 the company  installed more than 120 wind turbines with a total capacity of about 350 MW. Besides its core markets in Rhineland-Palatinate, the Saarland and Baden-Wuerttemberg, juwi realized several projects from Bavaria to North Rhine-Westphalia.

The prospects for 2014 remain positive for the juwi group: juwi’s national as well as international project pipeline in  both, the wind- and solar sector is well-filled. In the PV sector, it is the company’s ambition to be ranked among the  leading EPC contractors in the world, once again. In the wind sector, juwi’s main focus is on Germany. In its core market, the company has about 150 wind turbines with a total capacity of 400 MW in its business planning. juwi’s goal for 2014 is to remain the most successful onshore wind park developer.