Flender, a German drive manufacturer, after Eickhoff’s announcement at the end of April 2023 regarding the discontinuation of Wind serial production, has finalized an agreement with Eickhoff to acquire Eickhoff Wind Asia Pvt Ltd (EWA), including its assembly plant in Walajabad Taluk, India.
Headquartered in Bocholt, Germany, Flender is a renowned global provider of mechanical and electrical drive systems, boasting a legacy of over 120 years in delivering top-notch performance, innovation, quality, and reliability in drive components. Offering a wide array of gear units, couplings, generators, and related services, Flender focuses on key industries such as wind power, cement, mining, oil & gas, power generation, water and wastewater, marine, conveyor, and crane technology.
Flender’s products and services, known for their cutting-edge technology and superior quality, have been ensuring optimal power transmission for decades. With approximately 9,000 employees worldwide, Flender’s production sites in India, established in 1982 in Kharagpur and 2005 in Chennai, have evolved into the technology and production hub for the region, playing a crucial role in its global manufacturing network.
Established in 1864, Eickhoff stands out as a prominent technology provider for the global energy and commodity industries. The company specializes in crafting high-performance machines and gearboxes renowned for their reliability even in the most demanding environments. Eickhoff has been at the forefront of the wind energy sector, having supplied gearboxes for over 12,000 wind turbines, contributing to a clean energy generation capacity of 27 GW.
Presently, Eickhoff is committed to utilizing its gearbox expertise to better serve its customers in the expanding service sector. In India, Eickhoff Wind Asia Pvt Ltd (EWA) plays a crucial role, manufacturing and assembling wind energy gearboxes to meet the needs of the Asia Pacific Region’s wind energy sector. Eickhoff Wind Asia Pvt Ltd (EWA) was established in India on October 1, 2020, and specializes in the manufacturing of wind gearboxes.
The facility currently has a test bench capacity of up to 8 MW and is situated in the greater Chennai area, near Flender’s existing facility. Flender’s global expansion strategy places significant emphasis on expanding and localizing wind turbine drive systems in India. In addition to investing in its own production facilities in Kharagpur and Chennai, the acquisition of Eickhoff Wind Asia allows Flender to further accelerate its growth and meet the increasing demands of the renewable energy transition.
Ensuring the sustainability, resilience, and affordability of the supply chain is crucial for the wind industry. A diversified global manufacturing and service network, combined with a high level of localization, is essential to achieve this goal. The acquisition represents a strategic milestone in Flender’s expansion efforts, aligning with the needs of its partners and the industry. Flender Group CEO Andreas Evertz emphasizes the importance of quickly scaling up operations to meet industry demands.
Evertz looks forward to welcoming Eickhoff’s colleagues in India to the Flender team, noting that the collaboration will enable the provision of cutting-edge technologies and services to the wind market. Aarnout Kant, President Wind at Flender, expects partners to benefit from increased capacity, availability, and reduced reaction times. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the coming days, pending minor closing conditions.