Middle East deal puts the wind in turbine firm’s sails
A STRATFORD-UPON-AVON wind turbine manufacturer is celebrating the two biggest orders in its 11-year history. FuturEnergy — based on Ettington Park Business Centre in Banbury Road — has sold more than 300 wind turbines to a power solutions company in Lebanon.
FuturEnergy specialises in the manufacture of micro wind turbines.
The company employs ten staff and has exported wind turbines to remote areas of the world, with one even being transported to the Arctic on the Aurora Magnetica explorer vessel.
Its latest deals saw IPT PowerTech, in Beirut, order 114 wind turbines just before Christmas, and the same company has now just placed one for a further 228 turbines.
The turbines will be used to reduce the fuel cost of diesel generators powering mobile phone communication masts.
It is anticipated the entire project will cover 280 communications tower sites, each powered by two turbines. FuturEnergy received support in exporting to Lebanon from the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade Hub.
Sales Manager, Sandra Shirley, said: “We produce 1kw micro wind turbines and we have a 10kw turbine which is currently in development.
“We have been trading overseas since the business was set-up 11 years ago. Our turbines are mainly used in remote areas that are potentially off the grid.
“IPT PowerTech in Lebanon contacted us last year as they wanted to use our turbines for communication purposes.
“Representatives from the company came over to meet us and to see our factory. They then placed their first order the day before Christmas Eve for 144 turbines, which was then our biggest order to date.
“We manufactured these as promised within a three-month time frame and within days of the shipment going another order arrived for 228 wind turbines.
“UKTI have been great in helping us with the export documentation as we had never shipped to Lebanon before.
“They have been very supportive and have always been on hand to help and often call to see how we are progressing.”
News of FuturEnergy’s success is also a boost for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Go For Growth 16 campaign, which aims to ensure the region hits is growth potential in 2016.
Mick Page, International Trade Advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a great example of a company that has successfully exported products to some of the most remote areas of the world.
“They’ve shown commitment to growing the export business and part of this has been providing the right training and support to the customer in Lebanon.
“We are looking to see how this business might be replicated, as there is a clear opportunity for this application for the turbines, and one way UKTI can help is to uncover more business leads.”
