November 19, 2010
Suzlon China appoints new CEO
Pune/ Beijing: Suzlon Energy today announced the appointment of He Yaozu
as CEO and Country Manager of its China operations, Suzlon Energy Tianjin
Limited.
Tulsi Tanti, the founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Suzlon
Group, said: Suzlon has been fully operational in China now for five years. As
a Group, we have a 3.4 per cent market share and have been executing
contracts of up to 1 GW. We now want to take our business to the next level.
Yaozus extensive experience in both China and the wider region makes him an
excellent fit for us at Suzlon. China is now the largest market for wind in the
world and we wanted someone of Yaozus stature to be our Suzlon China CEO.
We are confident that, with Yaozu at the helm, and the encouraging public policy
regime, our business can now really take off.
Yaozus appointment comes at a time when Suzlon is giving a strong push to
expand its China operations through initiatives including establishing an R&D
centre in Tianjin, co-investing in wind farm projects, and increasing its
manufacturing investment. In addition, with the appointment of Yaozu, Suzlon
will be the first major international wind turbine manufacturer in China with a
Chinese CEO.
Yaozu has been a senior adviser to China Machinery New Energy Co, and serves
as a non-executive director of China Green Power Limited. He also served on the
board of Hoi Sing Industrial Holding Company. He was previously managing
director of Global Infrastructure Company (Asia) Limited and, prior to that,
managing director of Ogden Energy in China. He is a senior fellow of the Hong
Kong Institute of Directors.
He Yaozu said: I have watched Suzlons entry into the China market with
interest. Their strategy has been very different from other entrants and they are
now competitive with the domestic sector. This is an exciting time to be joining
what is the worlds third largest wind turbine manufacturing group, and I am
confident we will be announcing significant orders and increasing our market
share shortly.
Suzlon recently hosted a senior Chinese Government delegation to its One
Earth headquarters in Pune, India. The delegation was led by the Deputy
Administrator of Chinas National Energy Administration, Liu Qi, of Vice Minister
rank, who said during his visit: Suzlon has adapted very well to understanding
the needs of the Chinese wind energy market. It has also demonstrated its
commitment to China with investments in its manufacturing facility at Tianjin
and product development for the Chinese market. Thus, Suzlon is wellpositioned
to be a key part of the Chinese renewable energy landscape.
Suzlon in China
Suzlon in China operates through two key subsidiaries: Suzlon Energy (Tianjin), Ltd.
(Suzlon China), and REpower.
Suzlon Energy (Tianjin) Limited was established in 2006. The facility at Tianjin is an
integrated production site with testing facilities, and an annual production capacity of
600 MW per year. Suzlon also has a sales office in Beijing and a procurement office in
Shanghai.
REpower entered the China market in 1997 through cooperation with local companies in
China. Its China licensees to date include Goldwind, Dongfang and Windey.
The Suzlon Group (Suzlon+REpower) currently ranks eighth in the market with 3.4 per
cent market share. As of 2009, Suzlon has been executing contracts totalling over 1 GW
in China.
