Press Releases

Hansen Transmissions lanceert pilootproject “Werkplekleren”

U kan het Nederlands document hier downloaden: Hansen Transmissions lanceert pilootproject “Werkplekleren”

October 14, 2009 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen Drives obtains ISO 9001 certification.

You can download the English document here: Press Release

You can download the picture here: Hansen Drives obtains ISO 9001 Certification

March 16, 2009 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen Delivers First Gearbox from Chinese Facility

You can download the English document here: First Gearbox from Chinese Facility

U kan het Nederlands document hier downloaden: Eerste tandwielkast uit Chinese Fabriek

September 30, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

First gearbox India

You can download the document here: India first gearbox delivered

September 9, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Groundbreaking ceremony China

Antwerp (Belgium) and Tianjin (China), 9 September 2008: Hansen Transmissions International NV, (LSE ticker ‘HSN’), an established global gearbox designer, manufacturer and supplier, and a leader in the wind turbine gearbox market, yesterday held a ceremony to celebrate the breaking of ground for its wind turbine plant in the Beichen Hi-tech Industrial Park, Tianjin, Hansen Wind Energy Drives (China) Co., Ltd..

The project will involve a total investment of around Euro 200 million, the first phase of which will include construction of the assembly and testing facilities with an investment of about Euro 60 million.

Hansen will assemble and test the first gearbox in Tianjin in March 2009 and plans to have local manufacturing underway by September 2009.

Hansen’s factory is expected to reach its full capacity by early 2011. With an output of 3,000 megawatts per annum, the plant will have over 600 employees by 2012.

Between 2008 and 2012, the Chinese wind energy markets are forecast to grow by 721.3%, making it one of the fastest growing wind energy markets in the world.

Mr. Ivan Brems, Chief Executive Officer of Hansen Transmissions commented: "It is an important milestone for Hansen to have broken ground for its first wind turbine gearbox plant in China. Our presence and ambitions for our Chinese activities represent an essential part of our growth strategy.

“Strong growth in the Chinese economy and significant energy demand plus increasing environmental awareness and ambitious long term government targets are key determining factors in our decision to construct this fully integrated manufacturing plant. These favourable dynamics provide us with the ideal background to see the ultimate success of Hansen in China."

June 20, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen Transmissions sponsors charity driver with clear plea for clean fuel solutions.

Lommel, June 20^th 2008. - On June 29th 2008, Matt Hunt, citizen of Lommel (province of Limburg, Belgium), will embark on an adventurous journey by motorbike to Mongolia to raise money for charity. Hansen Transmissions has a factory for wind turbine drives in Lommel, Matt´s hometown, and has agreed to sponsor his project based on the objectives Matt set himself.

When the chance occurs during his trip, Matt will request clean fuel. During his trip, Matt will map the wind turbines and wind turbine sites and send us pictures. Both clothing and motor feature the Hansen logo. At the end of his journey, his motorbike and all of his equipment will be auctioned off and the profit will go to the Children´s Foundation in Mongolia. Matt is personally very dedicated to charity (Save the Children) and also has a personal agreement for fund raising for UNICEF.

As "One-Man-Team Hansen", Matt will participate in a charity rally that covers approx. 10,000km, five mountain ranges and two deserts, taking him from Lommel to London via France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzst

June 12, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Minister-President Kris Peeters opens expanded Hansen factory in Lommel

Lommel, 12 June 2008 – Today, Hansen Transmissions expanded factory in Lommel, Belgium was officially opened by Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters. The Minister-President also unveiled the recently obtained ISO 14001 environmental certificate and he assisted in the final assembly of Hansen´s 20,000th wind turbine gearbox. The investment in the Lommel factory expansion was around Euros €180 million where Hansen employs over 800 people.

Total investment of Euros €280 million in Lommel

Today, Hansen Transmissions expanded factory in Lommel is officially opened by Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters. The full production capacity in Lommel now amounts to 6,000 Megawatt on a total built-on surface of 110,000 m2.

Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters comments, "Hansen is a Flemish high-technology company with an impressive international success story. Over the past year, Hansen has achieved great results, with the expansion of the Lommel plant and the listing of its shares on the London StockExchange as notable highlights. Hansen´s planned expansion projects in India and China are also impressive."

In August 2002, Hansen began the construction of the Lommel factory in order to meet the growing demand for wind turbine gearboxes. Further expansion at its original factory in Edegem was ruled out given its proximity to a residential area.

The fully integrated factory in Lommel, which then covered a surface of 45,000 m2 and involved an investment of Euros €100 million, was opened in 2004. Today, the expanded facility, for the production of multi-megawatt wind turbine gearboxes, is complete following an investment of a further Euros €180 million.

Ivan Brems, CEO of Hansen Transmissions, comments, "Over the coming years, Europe will remain the largest market in the world for wind energy and this, plus the further growth of the international wind energy market, supports our strategic ambitions. Thanks to the unique location of the fully integrated production plant in Lommel and a team of more than 800 highly qualified and experienced employees, we are capable of meeting the various needs and quality demands of this fast-growing industry. Today, we supply four of the five largest turbine constructors and together, our clients represent over 60% of the market for gearbox-driven wind turbines."

20,000th wind turbine gearbox

At the end of the seventies, Hansen began the production of wind turbine gearboxes. The growing need for energy – for example in China and India - the increasing awareness of global warming, the Kyoto protocol and the decreasing production costs for wind, the world´s fastest-growing energy source, all mean that Hansen dedicates the majority of its gearbox production capacity to wind turbine gearboxes. Today, the twenty-thousandth (20,000th) wind turbine gearbox is standing on the assembly floor. It is destined for Vestas, Hansen´s largest wind energy client.

Mr. Søren Husted, President of Vestas Nacelles A/S comments: "Vestas and Hansen go back a long way. Our business relationship started in 1979 when Hansen supplied its first gearbox to Vestas. Since that time, we have seen both businesses grow dynamically and we have been able to develop our strong cooperation alongside this in an equally dynamic way. It gives me great pleasure to witness the assembly of Hansen´s twenty-thousandth (20.000th) gearbox today, which will soon reach its final destination, producing energy in one of our many wind turbines across the world."

Over 800 employees in Lommel – and still growing fast

When the factory in Lommel opened in May 2004, it employed 193 people. Over the past four years that number has quadrupled to over 800 people. Today, Hansen is very actively looking for engineers for both the production departments and the R&D department. In addition, there is a constant need for CNC operators as well as additional resource within the quality department and the machine maintenance department.

ISO 14001 environmental certificate

Hansen´s environmental care system in Lommel is certified by Lloyd´s Register with the ISO 14001 norm. "Hansen aspires to the highest standards when managing its impact on any form of pollution. Via an environmental management system, we address several issues in our company policy. Obtaining the ISO 14001 certificate is a recognised reward for the dedicated effort that Hansen has made," said Stefan Lammens, Managing Director Business Unit Wind Energy. Decreasing general energy use, keeping an inventory of available raw materials, reducing the use of chemical agents, further dividing waste flows, and introducing a complete waste management system are just a few targets that have been included in Hansen´s annual action plan.

For further information, please contact:
Lena De Wachter – Communications & Product Promotion

ldewachter@hansentransmissions.com
+32 3 450 12 11

April 29, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen Transmissions is granted international environment certificate

Lommel, Belgium, 28 April, 2008. - Hansen Transmissions International N.V., an established global gearbox designer, manufacturer and supplier and a leader in the wind turbine gearbox market, has been granted the ISO 14001 certificate for the environment management system in its plant in Lommel.

Hansen Transmissions' environment management system in Lommel has been certified with the ISO 14001 standard by Lloyd's Register. Energy, storage of products, air emission and waste are the central themes in Hansen's environment policy.

The ISO 14001:2004 certification audit was conducted by the leading international certification organisation Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance. The auditor, Mr Paul Craeghs, praised Hansen Transmissions in his final report because of the extremely well organised environment management system; both in terms of environmental care and environmental performance. He also found there was a dedicated involvement of staff and management alike.

"Hansen wants to play an exemplary role in environment policy. Through an environment management system, structural attention is paid to the environment in all our operations. After a thorough environmental aspect analysis we have defined concrete objectives in an action plan. We aim to minimise the impact on the environment and to permanently improve our environmental performance. Being granted the ISO 14001 certificate is the pinnacle of all the efforts made by Hansen up to now," says Stefan Lammens, Managing Director of the Wind Energy Business Unit of Hansen Transmissions.

Reducing the overall energy consumption, taking stock of the raw materials present at the site, monitoring the use of chemical substances, generating even more separate waste streams and an integral waste management are just a few objectives included in Hansen's year action plan.

For further information, please contact:
Lena De Wachter - Communications & Product Promotion
LDeWachter@HansenTransmissions.com

M:Communications
Sarah Hamilton
+44 20 1753 1538 / +44 7836 295 291
hamilton@mcomgroup.com

March 5, 2008 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen to set up gearbox factory in Beichen Hi-tech Industrial Park, Tianjin, China

Highlights

Hansen to create over 600 jobs in Tianjin area

Antwerp (Belgium) and Tianjin (China), 5 March 2008. - Today, Belgium-based Hansen Transmissions International NV, (ticker ‘HSN‘), an established global gearbox designer, manufacturer and supplier, and a leader in the wind turbine gearbox market, announced that an agreement has been signed with the developers of the Beichen Hi-tech Industrial Park in Tianjin, to establish a production plant for wind turbine drives. The agreement states that Hansen will build its Chinese factory in the Beichen state level economic zone and that the developers will support Hansen in the process. Hansen intends to sign a land lease for 250,000 square meters for the plant.

Summary

The total project will involve an investment of around Euro 200 million. The first phase of the project will include assembly and testing facilities, with an investment of about Euro 60 million. Initially, Hansen‘s Chinese plant will supply its wind turbine gearboxes to the Chinese affiliates of international wind turbine manufacturers. Later, the factory intends to supply Chinese OEM’s (original equipment manufacturers).

Hansen‘s factory is expected to reach its full capacity by early 2011. With an output of 3000 megawatts per annum, the plant will employ over 600 people.

Mr. Ivan Brems, Chief Executive Officer of Hansen Transmissions commented, "We are excited to be entering the fast growing wind turbine market in China which is an essential part of our strategy to build additional capacity and fulfill the high levels of demand in the sector. We will implement Hansen‘s proven gear technology, expertise, accuracy and quality standards in China, without any compromise, to guarantee Hansen‘s unique quality label."

For further information, please contact:
Lena De Wachter - Communications & Product Promotion
LDeWachter@HansenTransmissions.com

M:Communications
Sarah Hamilton
+44 20 1753 1538 / +44 7836 295 291
hamilton@mcomgroup.com

About Hansen Transmissions

Hansen Transmissions is an established global wind turbine gearbox and industrial gearbox designer, manufacturer and supplier, and a leader (by MW supplied) in the wind turbine gearbox market. The company supplies gearboxes to four of the five largest manufacturers of gear-driven wind turbines globally and provides durable gear drives for a wide range of industrial applications throughout the world. Hansen plans to increase its wind turbine gearbox manufacturing capabilities nearly four-fold, from 3,800MW per annum as at 31 March 2007, to 14,300MW, by 2012. In addition to its principal manufacturing facilities in Belgium - comprising a wind turbine and industrial gearbox plant at Edegem and a fully integrated state-of-the-art dedicated wind turbine gearbox manufacturing facility at Lommel - Hansen has a large new plant under construction in Coimbatore, India and has announced plans for a plant in China. Hansen has strong research and development operations to maintain its technological leadership and employs more than 1600 people worldwide.

31 Januari 2007 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen plans unit near Coimbatore

Coimbatore: Hansen Transmissions International of Belgium has decided to invest euro 170 million (Rs. 970 crore) to set up a plant for producing gearboxes for wind turbines. Of the total investment, euro 100 million would go into plant and machinery.

This greenfield project is planned near Coimbatore and is slated to be operational by the end of 2008.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Ivan Brems, Chief Executive Officer, said the facility would supply gearboxes to wind turbine manufacturers in India and abroad.

Mr. Brems said the integrated plant would come up on 2.2 lakh sq. m. It would have facilities such as a heat treatment plant, machining of casting, assembling, quality assurance and testing.

The factory would reach full capacity, with an annual output of 1,500-2,000 gearboxes, by early 2010. It would generate employment for over 600 people.

About vendor suppliers, Mr. Brems said the company was in talks with various local and global suppliers asking them to set up plants in India.

He said the company was setting up its plant in a special economic zone and hoped that the vendors would also locate their facilities in and around the area.

Mr. Brems said the proposed Coimbatore plant would use the same equipment and processes that were used in Hansen’s Belgian plants.

However, the gearboxes that would be manufactured in India would be cost-effective and based on the wind regime, he said.

29 januari 2007 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Euro 170 million euro project to create over 600 jobs in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: Belgium-based Hansen Transmissions International NV announced an investment plan of euro 170 million for a production plant for gearboxes for wind turbines in the megawatt range. The facility will supply gearboxes to wind turbine manufacturers in the Indian and international markets, including to Suzlon Energy Limited.

The greenfield project is planned near Coimbatore, and is planned to be operational by the end of 2008. The factory will reach its full production capacity, with an output of 1,500 to 2,000 gearboxes per annum, by early 2010, and employ over 600 personnel.

"The manufacturing plant of Hansen in Coimbatore will make use of the same production equipment and processes that are conducted in our Belgian plants. We will implement the proven Hansen gear technology, expertise, accuracy and thus quality standards without any compromise to guarantee the unique Hansen quality label", comments Mr. Ivan Brems, Chief Executive Officer of Hansen Transmissions Int.

"We are very pleased to welcome Hansen Transmissions to India. Hansen will now be able to leverage India’s vast pool of technical talent, and take advantage of the immense opportunities in the wind energy market in India and worldwide", stated Mr. Tulsi Tanti, CMD Suzlon Energy Ltd.

3 November 2006 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen announces new investment plan of 140 million euros in Belgium and the creation of more than 300 new jobs

New Delhi, November 3rd 2006. - The board of Hansen Transmissions approves an investment plan of over 140 million euros to expand production capacity and R&D infrastructure. The first stage of this investment aims at expanding Hansen’s production facilities in Belgium. It supports the company’s goal of meeting the growing demand for gearboxes. Today - during the India visit by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt - Hansen’s owner, Suzlon Energy Ltd, announced the investment plan for Hansen. The investment in Belgium will create more than 300 new jobs.

One of the important goals of the investment plan is to maximise output of gearboxes for multi-megawatt wind turbines at the existing plant at Lommel, Belgium. Also, testing facilities for both production and R&D will be expanded up to a full-load capacity of 13 megawatts. This means Hansen’s combined internal testing capacity will reach a total of more than 30 megawatts. To support this expansion, Hansen recently bought an extra 63,500 m² adjacent to the existing plant. This brings the total surface of the Lommel plant up to 180,000 m². With this investment, Hansen will also create more than 300 new jobs.

Ivan Brems, Chief Executive Officer at Hansen Transmissions, states: "This strategic investment in Belgium allows us rapidly to increase our production capacity while we further expand our existing infrastructure and available capabilities."

Mr. Tulsi Tanti, Chairman and Managing Director at Suzlon Energy Ltd, comments: "We see Hansen as a successful and promising company that can be proud of its high technology standard. That is why the board has decided to support Hansen in its growth, with investments over the coming years. The first item of Hansen’s business plan to be implemented will be the expansion of the plant at Lommel, Belgium."

About HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS is at the pinnacle in innovation and durable drives for a wide range of industrial applications throughout the world, especially in sectors where low noise levels, minimum weight and high reliability are essential (including wind-turbines, material handling, water treatment, etc.). The company is continually investing in the latest technology and machinery. A record turnover of more than 285 million euros was achieved in 2005/2006. Hansen Transmissions has 1300 employees worldwide.

About Suzlon Energy Ltd. Suzlon Energy Ltd. is the 5th largest company in wind energy worldwide, employing 5300 people with a turnover of approx. 640 million euros. Suzlon offers its customers complete solutions for wind energy: consultancy, production and installation, operational service and maintenance. Suzlon has R&D departments in Germany, the Netherlands and India. Its international HQ is located at Aarhus, Denmark, where the affiliated company Suzlon Energy A/S was founded. Main offices for marketing, sales, installation and service are located in the USA (Chicago), China (Beijing) and Australia (Melbourne). Suzlon - like Hansen - operates following the ISO 9001:2000 quality system. In March 2006, Suzlon Energy Ltd. took over gearbox manufacturer Hansen Transmissions Int. NV from Allianz Capital Partners and Apax Partners Worldwide. The acquisition was set at 465 million euros and represented a 100% transfer of shares.

27 september 2006 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Hansen Tranmissions invest more than 10 million Euros in building new test infrastructure

Edegem, 27 September 2006. - Hansen Transmissions announce an investment of more than 10 million Euros for the completion of a 13 megawatt test bench for the dynamic testing of wind turbine gearboxes. In so doing, the leading firm in the sector of industrial drive technology is asserting its position as technological leader. The investment involves the recruitment of five new members of staff.

The new test infrastructure is being installed at the Lommel site, where multimegawatt gearboxes are produced for wind turbines. Hansen Transmissions anticipate that the infrastructure will be ready for use in mid-2007. This investment is an important step, whereby Hansen Transmissions will confirm their position as technological leaders. This process also involves the recruitment of five new members of staff, states Dr. Ir. Peter Flamang, Vice President R&D and Engineering at Hansen Transmissions.

The test bench means that the dynamic behaviour of gearboxes can be measured and simulations carried out with overload and faster durability tests. The overload tests can also be carried out on the next generations of multi-megawatt gearboxes. The necessary flexibility is incorporated in order to be able to test different gearbox concepts.

Hansen Transmissions do not begin here on a test part. The gear unit producer already has several test benches in use. The preliminary design of the 13 megawatt test bench is based on concepts that already exist and are proven. "With this project we are producing a unique line and helping the wind energy market take the next step in technological evolution, especially in terms of reliability and optimisation of costs", continues Flamang.

21 March 2006 A N N O U N C E M E N T

Shanghai, China

Within the framework of its long-term Asian development plan, Hansen Transmissions Int. signed a factory lease agreement for the set-up of a Chinese assembly and service centre. The factory is located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), North East China.

Both current and future customers in China will benefit from the new local Hansen assembly & service centre, which will also serve as a hub for other Asian destinations.

Present at the signing of the lease contract were Mr. Kong from Hongfa Investment Group, Ms. Zou Fang from TEDA Foreign Direct Investment Office and Mark Hudson, General Manager of the Shanghai Hansen rep office.

Mark Hudson commented that "The proximity of major customers, professionalism of TEDA and the flexibility of Hongfa Investment Group, together with favourable logistics, the quality of local personnel and excellent infrastructure, all contributed to the choice of the factory location".

For further information on Hansen activities in China, please contact Mark Hudson (MHudson@HansenTransmissions.com, English) or Dennis Lian (Dennis.Lian@HansenTransmissions.com, Chinese).