When the Nordex company was founded 40 years ago, wind energy was often seen as an eccentric idea. Today, the company celebrates its anniversary with impressive results – 57 GW of installed wind turbine capacity in more than 40 countries.
Among them is Serbia, where the company is present at the wind parks Krivača, Pupin, and Čibuk 2.
The Balkan and Greek market, with an installed capacity of 1 GW, represents a great potential for further growth, reveals Anne-Catherine de Tourtier, Vice President of the Mediterranean region, in an interview for the RES Serbia portal. According to her, the business environment in Serbia is developing in a promising direction. As she states, the regulatory frameworks are improving, and there is increasing alignment with the EU’s energy and climate goals.
Anne-Catherine de Tourtier speaks about the key achievements of the company, the challenges of global logistics, innovations in wind turbines, and the increasingly significant presence in the Balkans. In a Golden Interview for our portal, she reveals how Nordex builds long-term partnerships in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, why trust remains the foundation of success, and how the new financial platform Nordex Capital accelerates the realization of projects around the world.
This year, Nordex marks its 40th anniversary. What key achievements and milestones is the company celebrating as part of this significant anniversary?
– In 2025, Nordex marks a milestone that few in the wind industry have reached: 40 years of continuous innovation, adaptation, and global impact. When the company was founded in 1985, wind energy was still seen by many as an eccentric idea — a niche technology with uncertain prospects. The road ahead was anything but clear, and the industry itself was fragile. Many promising companies have come and gone over the decades, unable to withstand the fierce market pressures, shifting political landscapes, and relentless pace of technological change.
Yet Nordex endured.
What made the difference wasn’t just technology — though Nordex has consistently led with groundbreaking turbines, from the early S70/S77 series to the flexible Delta4000 platform. It wasn’t just scale — though today, Nordex has installed over 57 GW of capacity across more than 40 countries, supported by a global team of over 10,400 people.
The real reason lies in something deeper: trust. Trust in our product. Trust built with our customers. Trust forged through long-term partnerships, often in the most challenging environments. Over the years, Nordex has not only delivered turbines — it has delivered certainty, reliability, and shared success.
From pioneering the first MW-class turbine in 1995, to merging with Acciona Windpower in 2016 and expanding into markets across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, Nordex has grown by staying close to its partners and adapting to their needs. Whether through innovations like full concrete towers, or financial solutions like the newly launched Nordex Capital, the company has always found ways to move forward.
In 2024, Nordex achieved €7.3 billion in sales and confirmed for the third time in a row its European market leader position, a testament to its operational strength and strategic clarity. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story. This anniversary is a celebration of people, engineers, developers, financiers, and communities — who believed in wind when few others did.
Forty years on, wind is no longer a fringe idea. It’s a cornerstone of the global energy transition. And Nordex is proud to have helped shape that journey.
How many Nordex wind turbines have been installed across Europe to date, and in which European markets do you currently have the strongest presence?
– To date, the Nordex Group has installed over 57 GW of wind power capacity globally, a reflection of our long-standing commitment to renewable energy and technological leadership.
One of our strongest markets is, naturally, Germany, where we have installed over 8 GW. Operating on home turf has brought strategic advantages, including deep market familiarity and strong stakeholder relationships. It has also brought recognition: over the past four years, Nordex turbines have received multiple “Turbine of the Year” gold medals from Windpower Monthly for the N117, N131, N149, and N163 models—highlighting our consistent innovation and performance.
Another standout market is Türkiye, where Nordex holds the position of market leader with over 4.1 GW installed. Türkiye is not only a key market in terms of volume but also a strategic operational hub. We conduct training programs for our associates there, contributing to workforce development and regional expertise.
In the Mediterranean region, Nordex has built a strong and growing presence, with a combined installed capacity of nearly 7 GW , where Balkan and Greek markets amount for 1GW and represent a great potential for further growth.
This regional footprint reflects our ability to adapt to diverse regulatory environments and wind conditions, while maintaining strong local partnerships.
In the United States, we’ve recently relaunched our production plant in West Branch, Iowa. This enables us to supply turbines with the “Made in the USA” label, supporting local job creation.
While our presence is stronger in some markets than others, what defines Nordex is our consistent commitment to our customers. Regardless of market size or share, we deliver the same level of quality, service, and dedication. We view every project as a long-term partnership—an investment that pays off through trust, performance, and shared success.
What are the biggest challenges Nordex faces in terms of supply chain operations and logistics?
– As the global demand for wind energy continues to grow, Nordex has responded by expanding its production capacities worldwide. This growth brings with it a set of complex challenges, particularly in the areas of supply chain coordination, logistics, and quality assurance.
One of the most significant challenges is managing the logistics of large-scale components, such as rotor blades up to 85.7 meters in length and tower sections for hub heights exceeding 179 meters. These components require specialized transport infrastructure and careful planning to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
In parallel, rising material and transport costs, along with geopolitical uncertainties, have added pressure to global operations. To mitigate these risks, Nordex has adopted a decentralized production strategy, deliberately avoiding concentration in a single region. This approach not only helps reduce total landed costs for our customers but also enhances our ability to respond flexibly to regional disruptions.
Despite ramping up production in countries outside Europe, Nordex remains firmly committed to maintaining its European manufacturing footprint. This decision supports both supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy, particularly in the face of shifting global trade dynamics.
Quality and sustainability remain at the core of our operations. As we scale, we apply stringent quality controls and work exclusively with qualified suppliers to ensure full compliance—not only in terms of technical standards but also in alignment with our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments.
Ultimately, our goal is to deliver high-performance turbines at the lowest possible landed cost, while maintaining the reliability, transparency, and sustainability that our customers expect. This balance is what enables Nordex to remain competitive and resilient in a rapidly evolving global energy landscape.
In Serbia, you are present at the Krivača, Pupin, and Čibuk 2 wind parks, and in Montenegro at the Gvozd wind park. How would you assess the business environment in Serbia, and what are your ambitions for the region in the coming years?
– The Balkans have been a very positive experience for Nordex, with successful projects in Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia. These achievements are the result of hard work, close collaboration with our customers, and a deep understanding of their needs. We are proud of the trust we’ve built in the region, and we remain committed to delivering execution excellence.
In Serbia, the business environment is evolving in a promising direction. Regulatory frameworks are improving, and there is growing alignment with EU energy and climate goals. Our ability to maintain high HSE and ESG standards while meeting project deadlines has been a key factor in building investor confidence.
The Balkans is a highly competitive market, and we are pleased with the results we’ve achieved so far. Our ambition is to continue strengthening our local presence by investing in personnel development across both project implementation and long-term service operations. This dual focus ensures that we not only deliver projects efficiently and on time, but also provide ongoing operational stability—ensuring that our partners’ wind farms continue to perform reliably for many years to come.
Looking ahead, we will continue to monitor opportunities across the region, building on our experience in Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia, where we are already actively engaged. At the same time, we remain attentive to developments in neighboring countries, ready to support our partners wherever new wind projects emerge. This year, we are proud to be launching our entity in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have secured a first 73 MW project with the N163/7MW equipped with Nordex cutting edge anti-icing system. We aim to bring it into operation by the end of 2026. Our approach is long-term and relationship-driven: we follow our investors, adapt to local needs, and bring global expertise to regional opportunities.
In short, the Balkans is not just a market for us—it’s a region where we’ve proven our ability to deliver, and where we see continued potential for meaningful growth.
What wind turbine models does Nordex currently offer, and what is the average lead time from contract signing to delivery?
– Nordex offers a comprehensive portfolio of onshore wind turbines, ranging from the N117 to the N175, covering capacities from 3 MW to over 6 MW, in certain modes also 7 MW. These models are part of the proven Delta and Delta4000 platforms and are designed to meet a wide spectrum of site-specific requirements—from low to strong wind conditions—while maximizing energy yield and minimizing the cost of energy (COE).
Key models include:
N117/3000–3600 and N131/3000–3900 – optimized for medium and strong wind sites.
N149/4.X and N149/5.X – highly versatile turbines with flexible power modes.
N163/5.X and N163/6.X – designed for low to medium wind conditions, offering increased swept area and higher AEP.
N175/6.X – our latest model, launched in 2022, featuring 85.7-meter blades and hub heights up to 200 meters.
N169/5.X – developed specifically for the U.S. market, with production localized in Iowa.
These turbines are the result of a continuous innovation process that began with the N80/2500, the world’s first 2.5 MW turbine, and evolved through the Gamma, Delta, and now Delta4000 generations. Over the years, Nordex has introduced more than 46 turbine types, with significant advancements in rotor diameter, blade technology (including carbon fiber spars), and tower height—now reaching up to 179 meters.
In terms of delivery, the average lead time from contract signing to turbine delivery typically lies around 12 months, depending on project size, location, and customization. This timeline reflects not only the complexity of manufacturing and logistics but also Nordex’s commitment to stringent quality control and ESG compliance across its global supply chain.
Importantly, Nordex’s modular platform approach allows for efficient scaling and adaptation to local market needs, while maintaining high performance and reliability. Whether for constrained sites, low-wind regions, or high-capacity installations, the current portfolio is designed to deliver maximum energy yield with minimal cost of energy.
What does the Nordex financing model entail, and what does it offer to investors and developers in terms of project financing? Has this model already been applied to any specific wind park?
– The Nordex financing model is built around delivering high-quality wind turbines with a very favorable landed cost to customers, making projects more economically viable from the outset. But beyond the technology, Nordex brings significant value through its deep understanding of project financing.
Key Strengths of the Nordex Financing Model
Strong Lender Relationships:
Nordex has established connections with a wide network of lenders and understands their requirements and concerns. This insight allows Nordex to structure offers that meet financing expectations, particularly in terms of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance—an increasingly critical factor for securing funding.
Export Credit Agency (ECA) Solutions:
Nordex can structure project financing around ECA coverage, helping to reduce risk and improve access to competitive financing terms. This is especially valuable in emerging markets or for large-scale projects.
Creation of Nordex Capital:
In early 2025, Nordex launched Nordex Capital, a dedicated financing arm aimed at accelerating project materialization. Nordex Capital supports:
Early-stage development financing, helping projects get off the ground.
Ready-to-build project financing, bridging the gap between development and construction. This initiative enhances Nordex’s ability to bring projects to financial close more efficiently, offering developers and investors a more integrated and stable path to realization.
As the President of the French Wind Energy Association, how would you describe the current state of wind energy development in France, and what are the key challenges investors are facing in this market?
– France continues to demonstrate strong momentum in wind energy development, with more than 1 GW of new capacity added annually. This growth is closely aligned with the country’s broader commitment to electrification and its 2030 climate targets, which aim to accelerate the energy transition and reduce carbon emissions.
However, the path forward is not without its challenges. As with any major societal transformation, the energy transition in France is accompanied by a range of perspectives and public debates. At times, these discussions can introduce uncertainty around the pace and direction of renewable deployment, which may affect investor confidence in the long term.
What investors consistently seek is regulatory clarity and long-term stability. France’s diverse energy mix, which includes nuclear, hydro, solar, and wind, has historically provided resilience and flexibility. Over the years, renewable energy sources have proven to be both cost-effective and competitive, earning their place as a core component of the national energy strategy.
The transition also brings with it a learning curve. We are collectively discovering how a more interconnected and dynamic energy system can function—how the grid must evolve, what auxiliary services are needed, and how to ensure system reliability in a landscape increasingly powered by variable renewables.