Vestas reports 38 percent increase in deliveries

RANDERS, Denmark – Vestas Wind Systems A/S reported a 38 percent increase in wind turbine deliveries to its customers in the first half of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

In its first half interim financial report, Vestas said it delivered a total of 1,062 wind turbines to customers throughout the world.

The aggregate capacity of those wind power systems was 1,991 megawatts, an increase of 25 percent over 2010, the report said.

The company reported generated revenue of $2.461 billion euros ($3.521 billion U.S.) during the first six months of 2011, an increase of 31 percent.

Vestas also reported a 3 percent decrease in its total employees at the end of the period, with 21,700 employed at its production facilities.

The company employs about 1,300 at production facilities in Colorado, including plants in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo.

A second Brighton facility, which will produce turbine blades, is scheduled to open before the end of 2011 and eventually employ about 600.

The company said despite global economic uncertainty, it expects to receive orders totaling between 7,000 and 8,000 megawatts by the end of the year.

Orders from Europe and Africa are expected to account for about 50 percent of that total, with orders from the Americas and Asia Pacific accounting for about 25 percent each, according to the report.