Renewable Energy business area prepares for growth

Opcon, the energy and environmental technology Group, has worked for some time on a strategic shift towards energy and environmental technology. A new business area structure was introduced at the start of 2007 consisting of three independent business areas with a stated ambition of growing the Renewable Energy business area. Since then a number of acquisitions have been made and major investments carried out particularly in Opcon Powerbox for production of electricity from waste heat, but also in the low-temperature drier Renergi LTD. From sales of around SEK 10 million in the first quarter 2007, sales for the business area amounted to almost SEK 140 million in the first three quarters of 2008.

Opcon, which has had a strongly growing order-book throughout the year, continually carried out measures during the autumn in order to deal with integration opportunities and to continue strengthening the organisation to ensure future growth.

The Renewable Energy business area has been given a new structure consisting of four divisions from year-end in order to improve the operational structure and to take advantage of synergies.

• Waste Heat Recovery – Industrial waste heat today constitutes an immense and largely unexploited potential. According to the American Department of Energy and their Annual Energy Survey, available industrial waste heat in the US exceeds all other renewable energy sources combined. The basis of the division's operations is Opcon Powerbox which produces CO2-free electricity from waste heat from as low as 55 degrees and spin-offs from its development. The division is managed by Opcon Energy Systems.

Per Hedebäck, business area manager and MD of Opcon Energy Systems will head up the Waste Heat Recovery division.

• Bioenergy – Bioenergy is expected to grow strongly in line with global objectives in relation to increased share of renewable energy. Opcon, through its subsidiary Svensk Rökgasenergi, is the market leading supplier in Sweden of flue gas condensation installations which raise efficiency in biomass-powered heating plants by up to 25-30%. The share of exports is today around 50 percent. With the new drier installation Renergi LTD for the drying of biomass using waste heat, new customers have also been added, in the form of e.g. pellets producers. Värmlands Montageteknik is also included.

Per Egeberg, MD for SRE will head up the Bioenergy division.

• Compressor Technology – With a basis in SRM’s (Svenska Rotor Maskiners) 100-year history of making energy more efficient and world-leading competence surrounding screw compressors, the focus is on development and high-quality production in smaller series. SRM and Opcon Autorotor’s operations focused on fuel cell systems are also brought together within the division in order to better utilize common development and production resources.

Fredrik Jansson who has been employed as new MD for SRM, will head up the Compressor Technology division. Fredrik has held a range of management positions within technical development and consultancy and joins the company from Omnilog AB where he served as MD.

• Operational Services – Responsible for delivery and installation of Opcon Powerbox, sales of industrial energy efficiency improvements with cooling and heat pump technology and development of Energy Performance Contracting. At the same time, further development of own service organisation is proceeding for both operation and supervision of advanced systems for remote monitoring with a basis in REF Tech. Mitec Instruments was merged into REF Tech.

Peter Lundström, MD of REF Tech will head up the Operational Services division.


At the same time, management and sales have been strengthened within the business area and will continue to be reinforced. After a series of new recruitments, the following persons will form part of the management team for Renewable Energy, in addition to those responsible for each division.

• Manuel Swärd, who has previously served as MD and Business Development Manager in Swedish and International companies operating in the energy and financial sectors, took over at the start of 2008 as Head of Business Development with a focus on development of business surrounding Opcon Powerbox, sales collaboration and internationalization.

• Henrik Öhman, previously MD for SRM has taken over as Technical Director for the business area. The focus is primarily on advancement of the technology surrounding Opcon Powerbox and the use of Opcon Powerbox for marine applications.

• Roland Jansson, previously operations manager in several sectors, most recently of the Metal Filter business area in Camfil AB, was employed during the autumn as Head of Operational Development and Production Technology in the business area with special responsibility for ensuring a stepping-up of production of Opcon Powerbox as well as growth within bioenergy.

• Daniel Arvidsson, who previously held various finance and controller functions, most recently as financial manager for NCC Komponent, was employed during the autumn as CFO and controller in the business area.

- “After the recruitments carried out during the autumn we have gained an excellent management team. The new organisational structure also means greater focus on sales and internationalization, while at the same time, we can direct our resources better, take advantage of synergies and manage the growth we see ahead. We currently find ourselves in a very strong growth phase within the business area with new products that are very well-timed”, says Per Hedebäck, business area manager Renewable Energy.

- “Installation is also continuing in Nacka of the new machines for production of core components to Opcon Powerbox. An investment in the range of SEK 20 million”, says Per Hedebäck, business area manager Renewable Energy.


For further information please contact:
Rolf Hasselström, CEO, tel. 08-466 45 00, 070-594 79 60

Opcon AB, Box 15085, 104 65 Stockholm
Tel. +46 (0)8 466 45 00, fax +46 (0)8 716 76 61
e-mail: info@opcon.se
www.opcon.se