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Danish wind energy giant Vestas makes loss for first time in a decade

Danish wind turbine producer Vestas has registered a loss for the first time since 2013, the company said as it published annual results.

Danish wind energy giant Vestas makes loss for first time in a decade
Vestas registered a loss last year for the first time since 2013. File photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

The company said that increasing costs of energy and raw materials had contributed to the operating loss, as had high inflation.

“Vestas and the wind industry were ready to provide solutions to address the energy crisis, but were constrained by cost increases, logistical challenges, outdated market designs and permitting processes”, the company said in its annual report.

The annual results show a deficit of just under 12 billion kroner for the year.

Preliminary figures released at the end of last month showed that Vestas had turned over around 108 billion kroner in 2022. As such, costs have dragged the company into an overall loss for the year.

Vestas has been forced to raise the price of its wind turbines to adapt to market conditions, it said.

“The increasing price of wind turbines has been and remains a necessity to account for inflation on operating costs and secure the long-term value creation of the industry,” the company said when it announced its 2022 turnover.

“Our focus to protect the value of our products and solutions needs strict discipline to address the raised costs of raw materials and components in dialogue with customers,” it said.

A reduced level of activity is expected at the company in 2023, while pressure from inflation will still be high. That could have an additional negative impact on profit.

Turnover is predicted to be between 104 and 115 billion kroner in 2023.

A degree of uncertainty must however be attached to that prognosis, Vestas stressed.

“The announced expectations try to take account of the situation and challenges as they appear at this point in time,” it said in the results released on Wednesday.

Vestas’ share price was up 2.7 percent on the Copenhagen stock exchange in mid-morning trading, in a market up by 0.8 percent overall.

The wind turbine maker employs around 29,000 people globally including 5,900 in Denmark.

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BUSINESS

Maersk profits plummet as Yemeni attacks close off Red Sea route

Danish shipping giant Maersk posted a huge drop in net profit for the first quarter on Thursday as Yemeni rebel attacks are forcing it to avoid the vital Red Sea route.

Maersk profits plummet as Yemeni attacks close off Red Sea route

Maersk reported a net profit of $177 million in the first three months of the year, a 13-fold drop from the same period last year. Turnover fell 13 percent to $12.4 billion, slightly lower than forecast by analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet.

The company, however, raised its outlook for the full year, citing higher demand and increased rates and costs due to the supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea.

It now expects an underlying core profit ranging between $4 billion and $6 billion, up from $1 billion-$6 billion previously.

“We had a positive start to the year with a first quarter developing precisely as we expected,” Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc said in a statement.

“Demand is trending towards the higher end of our market growth guidance and conditions in the Red Sea remain entrenched,” he said.

“This not only supported a recovery in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, but also provide an improved outlook for the coming quarters, as we now expect these conditions to stay with us for most of the year.”

Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country’s Red Sea coast, have launched dozens of attacks on ships since November, claiming solidarity with Palestinians caught up in the Israel-Hamas war.

The United States in December announced a maritime security initiative to protect Red Sea shipping from the attacks, which have forced commercial vessels to divert from the route that normally carries 12 percent of global trade.

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