juwi becomes global player

- Project developer expands in Germany and abroad / many new jobs

Woerrstadt - The juwi group of Wörrstadt, Germany (Alzey-Worms district) is on its way to becoming a global player. In Europe, the developer of wind, solar and bio energy projects is already among the leading companies in this sector: and now juwi is expanding in America as well, one of the world’s largest growth markets for renewable energies. In 2010, the group will, for the first time, achieve a higher turnover abroad than in Germany. Total turnover in 2010 is again expected to increase strongly to about 800 million euros. As a result, after adding 350 jobs in 2009, juwi will create an additional 200 to 300 jobs this year, most of them in Germany’s Rhineland- Palatinate. The company is in fact growing so strongly that its headquarters, which were just enlarged in 2009, are being expanded again. In addition, juwi is again starting up some exceptional projects that will further the goal of a 100 percent renewable energy supply.

The juwi group is outperforming the market and is viewed as a premium supplier. This outstanding position is also confirmed by the many prizes and awards which the renewable energy specialist and its top executives Fred Jung and Matthias Willenbacher received in 2009: These include the Clean Tech Media Award, the Rhineland-Palatinate Environment Prize, the \"Entrepreneur of the Year\" award as well as the \"Greentech Manager of the Year.\" \"juwi is a medium-sized business with deep roots in the region and at the same time a strong international presence. This healthy mix is one of the reasons we are so successful,\" says CEO Fred Jung. \"The regions in Germany remain an important market for us, one in which we still see a very bright future. The demand is great not just at home, but also worldwide. About 20 percent of the world’s energy demand is currently covered by renewable resources; so the potential is still enormous,\" declares his executive colleague Matthias Willenbacher.


Broadbased, solid portfolio

Although solar and wind energy remain the company’s primary growth areas, the bio energy field is also growing strongly. The first projects in the new fields of geothermal energy and hydropower are now starting up. \"juwi is on solid footing, both regarding our broadbased portfolio and internationally. And it pays off,\" says Jung. In addition to Germany, Italy and France, the United States have meanwhile developed into one of the most important markets for juwi. The company is also further building its presence in Latin America (such as Costa Rica) and eastern Europe (the Czech Republic, Poland) and has plans to enter new markets (for example South Africa).


US growth market

In the United States, the renewable energy specialist has a number of major projects in the pipeline or already realized, particularly in the solar sector. A free-field photovoltaic installation (2.2 megawatts) built by juwi’s US subsidiary, juwi solar Inc., in Hackettstown, New Jersey supplies the plant and headquarters of candy manufacturer Mars Snackfood with clean electricity. More facilities are currently under construction in Florida (15 megawatts), Ohio (12 megawatts) and Texas (16 megawatts). With respect to free-field plants, the company is now among the leading suppliers in the United States – an outstanding starting position. The US, where more than six billion dollars are expected to be invested, could become the world’s most dynamic growth market for photovoltaic systems by the year 2012. This was one of the results of the study \"The United States PV Market Through 2013: Project Economics, Policy, Demand and Strategy\" by Greentech Media. German market participants like juwi would benefit from this, according to the study. In the wind sector, juwi has started work on the Flat Water wind farm (60 megawatts) in Nebraska, the first major project, to be followed by other wind farms of similar size – including in Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan. In the years to come, juwi plans to bring wind and solar facilities totaling more than 1,000 megawatts onto the grid in the United States.


Bio energy booms

In the bio-segment, in a joint venture with Prolignis Energie Consulting GmbH, juwi will build wood-based combined power plants, which generate both electricity and heat. Also on the juwi Bio GmbH project list are several biogas plants and district heating networks and new wood pellet plants, with which pellet production is to be massively increased to about 150,000 tons per year. One project highlight is the world’s first facility for the industrial-scale production of Terra Preta (\"black earth\"). The Terra Preta plant is being realized by Palaterra GmbH, a joint venture of the juwi group and soil and plant expert Joachim Böttcher in the Morbach Energy Landscape in the Hunsrück region. Experts are convinced that the extremely humus-rich soil substrate can contribute both to solving the world’s food problems and to climate protection.


New business fields starting up

juwi has now started its first projects in the new fields of geothermal energy and hydropower, with more to follow. This year the company will solidify plans for its first hydropower plant, south of Hanau am Main, with an output of two megawatts, and will then begin construction early in 2011. In addition, juwi has been awarded a permission mechanism for studies on the benefits of deep geothermics in the Rhine-Main region, for which the first seismic tests are now starting.


juwi job engine

The project developer from the Rhine-Hesse region has developed into a regular job engine. While job market experts are expecting the global economic crisis to hit the German job market with great force in 2010 and are therefore predicting a rise in unemployment, juwi continues to build its workforce – by 600 employees in two years. In 2009 alone, juwi created 350 new jobs, nearly doubling its global workforce to approximately 750 employees. This year another 200 to 300 new employees have been added, the vast majority in Germany. juwi’s worldwide total is expected to break the 1,000 employee mark by the end of 2010/beginning of 2011.


Company headquarters again expanded

Because of the high growth, the company headquarters in Wörrstadt (Alzey-Worms district), which were just expanded in 2009, will again be enlarged this year. The two new building modules are to celebrate their grand opening by mid-year. With this expansion, juwi is making room for more than 700 employees at its Wörrstadt headquarters. The two additional wings are again being built by the renowned prefabricated building specialist Griffner in the eco-friendly timber construction style and will again set standards for energy efficiency. The juwi company headquarters are located in an energy-plus building, which generates more energy than it consumes, and is considered the most energy-efficient office building in the world.


One of the best and most sought-after employers

juwi is among Germany’s best employers. In a survey by the \"Great Place to Work Institute\" in Germany, the company came out among the top 50 in the category of companies with up to 500 employees. This has made the project development company one of the most soughtafter employers in the energy sector: In 2009 alone, some 12,000 applications were received. \"juwi has an excellent reputation. We offer our staff more than a secure job. They feel good about themselves, are highly motivated and see sense and value in their work,\" says Willenbacher. This is due in part to the numerous facilities that improve the work-life balance of its workers, such as a day care facility, a contemplation and relaxation room, a soccer field and beach volleyball court and a fitness room. Another factor that promotes identification and motivation is the company’s major goal of a 100 percent renewable energy supply worldwide. \"The people who work for juwi don’t just want to make money, they want to make a difference too. Our employees are working with all their effort to ensure that 100 percent renewable energies is achieved as soon as possible,\" says Jung.


A selection of \"lighthouse projects\" for 100 percent renewable energies

1. juwi supports a unique documentary film: \"THE 4th REVOLUTION – Energy Autonomy\" uses stories of its protagonists – prominent environmental activists, Nobel laureates, innovative entrepreneurs and politicians – to tell how the switch to 100% renewables is possible within the next 30 years. It explains the opportunities for sustainable economic development and social and economic fairness that the energy revolution will provide. It premieres in Germany on March 18 (for more information, see www.energyautonomy.org). On March 21, the \"100% renewables\" foundation established by juwi founders Willenbacher and Jung is presenting the film in a major event at the Mainz soccer stadium with a special appearance by the German band \"2raumwohnung.\" 10 percent of the ticket price will go toward construction of a solar plant that will provide electricity for an orphanage in Haiti. There will also be a fund drive for Haiti at the event.

2. In Senegal, 50 villages that are not connected to the main grid are being equipped with solar electricity plants. \"This project shows that people who have thus far been cut off from the general electric supply can now be supplied with clean electricity to meet their needs cheaply, quickly and safely with decentralized renewable energies,\" explains Willenbacher.

3. At Schneebergerhof in the district of Donnersbergkreis (Rhineland-Palatinate), juwi is building the most powerful wind turbine in the world and the largest in Germany: The six-megawatt turbine designed by Enercon has a height of 200 meters and a rotor diameter of 126 meters. The E-126 produces some 18 million kilowatt-hours per year, enough to meet the needs of more than 5,000 households (standard 3-person households with an annual consumption of 3,500 kWh). \"This project will show what wind energy can already do today when powerful turbines are built at good sites: A single wind turbine produces enough clean electricity for an entire town,\" explains Jung.

4. After a free-field photovoltaic plant and five wind turbines, juwi is now building a biogas plant near its Wörrstadt headquarters, thus realizing a regional combined power plant on site. \"A comprehensive, independent, inexpensive and need-based supply with renewable energies is only possible by combining energy sources,\" states Willenbacher. Wind and solar energy are freely available in endless supply and make up the foundations of the combined power plant. \"But bio energy plays an important role as well due to its high flexibility; it can even out the fluctuations in wind and solar electricity production,\" continues Jung. A Terra Preta production facility is also being built in Wörrstadt, which will use the digestate from the biogas plant, among other things, in an ingenious material cycle to produce a valuable humus substrate.


Woerrstadt, February 26, 2010


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