Siemens Gamesa is to discontinue local sales of onshore wind turbines in China with its manufacturing base in Tianjin to produce units solely for export.
Chief executive Andreas Nauen (pictured) told German publication WirtschaftsWoche: “We will discontinue local sales in China. We are giving up the local direct business in China because it is no longer of interest to us.”
He added: “China is a market for domestic manufacturers.”
Siemens Gamesa also plans to review its role in other markets.
Nauen added: “We are also putting the Russian business to the test.
“The projects there are very risky because, for example, the construction of a wind farm on land is only possible in a few frost-free weeks of the year.”
He told WirtschaftsWoche that in Turkey too, “we will be much more careful”.
Nauen said this was because tenders there require wind turbine builders to have a high level of local production.
“We would do without that in the future,” he added in the interview with WirtschaftsWoche.
In addition, he told the publication that a rise in turbine prices is on the cards at Siemens Gamesa due to strong price fluctuations for materials, such as steel.
Nauen said: “In the recent past, we have very often sold our onshore wind turbines at fixed prices.
“We are therefore now concluding new projects with floating price clauses – as has long been the norm for offshore wind turbines with a longer project duration.
“We will increase the prices for new wind turbines by 3% to 5%.”