EDF Energies Nouvelles and Vestas enter frame agreement

By the agreement, EDF Energies Nouvelles, a leader in renewable energy, has committed to purchase from Vestas wind turbines for a minimum of 50 per cent of all its future onshore wind installations in Europe and a minimum of 30 per cent of all its future onshore wind installations in the Unites States for deliveries in 2012 to 2014. Furthermore, today Vestas reaches firm and unconditional orders within this agreement for a total capacity of 180 MW.

The binding share of wallet agreement for the years 2012-2014 is with EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN), its European affiliates and the US subsidiary, enXco. EDF EN is one of the major players in the generation of wind power and renewable energy worldwide.

The agreement also includes a VestasOnline® Business SCADA system and contemplates the option of establishing several schemes of service and maintenance contracts in different countries in close partnership with EDF EN.

Through this frame agreement, EDF EN will further develop with Vestas their business activities in countries such as France, Italy and Greece, and will start new operations with Vestas in the USA, the UK, Germany and Poland as well as in several emerging markets.

EDF EN has selected Vestas due to its global extensive experience in siting, installation, technical operational support and service of wind power plants in all markets where EDF EN operates, as well as for its broad product portfolio, ranging from the V52-850 kW turbine to the recently launched V112-3.0 MW model.

Moreover, Vestas signed today a firm and unconditional order within this frame agreement for a total capacity of 80 MW in Europe. In addition, we can now also disclose that the 100 MW for projects in Europe mentioned in Vestas’ company announcement No. 42/2010 of 8 November 2010 have also been included in this frame agreement bringing the capacity within this agreement to 180 MW for projects in Europe. As per the customer’s request, further details of the projects cannot be disclosed.

Ditlev Engel, President and CEO of Vestas Wind Systems A/S, adds: “It is an important chapter in the history of Vestas and wind power, when a major world-wide player like EDF EN signs up an agreement of this volume proving that today wind power is mainstream. This share of wallet agreement is expected to have a potential of up to 2,000 MW or more for Vestas. The frame agreement is the result of a close collaboration and a strong relationship between EDF EN and Vestas, and I would like to thank EDF EN for their trust in our technology, our employees and our capabilities and my colleagues for their hard work and commitment to make this happen.”

David Corchia, Chief Executive Officer of EDF Energies Nouvelles, comments: “This agreement is the result of a thorough consultation and negotiation process with several global manufacturers. The competitiveness of Vestas’ products, its extensive range and its high-quality services made the difference.”

He concludes: “I am delighted as this partnership will strengthen the relationship of trust that our two groups have built over nearly 10 years. In addition, it gives us both the visibility we need in order to pursue our respective developments. There is no doubt that this is a major and crucial deal that will enable us to provide competitive renewable energy solutions.”

Juan Araluce, President of Vestas Mediterranean, says: “We are very pleased to announce the signing of this frame agreement with EDF EN. EDF EN is part of one of the largest utilities in the world and Vestas is the largest global wind technology and service provider. It is natural that EDF EN is a key account for Vestas and we have maintained a close business relationship for such a long time. Both companies are driven by the same mission – to further develop wind power around the globe and to make it an even more competitive and reliable source of energy.”

He concludes: “At Vestas, we always explore new opportunities for collaboration with EDF EN and we are continuously looking into how we can better support EDF EN in the development, expansion and profitability of their wind business. This frame agreement is a clear example of this. We look forward to continuing working with EDF EN in the many exciting projects around the world.”

The above order does not affect Vestas’ expectations for 2011, ref. company announcement No. 18/2011 of 4 May 2011.

Contact details:

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

Michael Holm (for Danish and international media)
Tel.:                +45 9730 3236
Mobile:            +45 4083 6698
Email:             micho@vestas.com

Maria J. Vazquez (for media in the Mediterranean region)
Tel.:                +34 91 362 80 00
Mobile:           +34 610 52 69 12
Email:             mjvvi@vestas.com

About Vestas 
Vestas is a global company with more than 30 years of expertise and know-how in the field of wind power. With an installed base of more than 43,000 turbines or 44,000 MW distributed on 66 countries, Vestas is the world leading and most committed supplier of wind power solutions. Vestas has a workforce of around 22,000 highly skilled and fully committed employees all around the world. To learn more about Vestas, please visit: www.vestas.com.

About EDF Energies Nouvelles
With operations in Europe and North America, EDF Energies Nouvelles is a market leader in green electricity production. With a development focused on wind energy for several years and more recently on solar photovoltaic, the Group is also present in other segments of the renewable energies market: small hydro, marine energy, biomass, biofuel and biogas. In addition, the Group is expanding in the distributed renewable energies sector. EDF Energies Nouvelles is a subsidiary of the EDF Group. For more information, please visit www.edf-energies-nouvelles.com.