Financial outlook for 2023
Revenue for full year 2023 is expected to range between EUR 14.0bn and 15.5bn including Service revenue, which is expected to grow min. 5 percent. Vestas expects to achieve an EBIT margin before special items of (2)-3 percent with a Service EBIT margin of approx. 22 percent. Total investments* are expected to amount to approx. EUR 1bn in 2023. It should be emphasised that, similar to the preceding years, there is greater uncertainty than usual around forecasts related to execution in 2023, and the outlook seeks to include the current situation and challenges.
The outlook for 2023 includes the impact of the sale of Vestas’ converter factories announced on 10 August 2022 with an expected impact on EBIT before special items of approx. EUR 150m.
Vestas’ Development business continues to grow and to reflect the business area’s increasing financial and strategic importance, income related to sale of Development projects from joint ventures and associates is included as part of normal operations from 1 January 2023. The impact on EBIT before special items from this change is expected to reach a lower double-digit million EUR amount in 2023.
It should be emphasised that, similar to the preceding years, there is greater uncertainty than usual around forecasts related to execution in 2023, and the outlook seeks to include the current situation and challenges.
In relation to forecasts on financials from Vestas in general, it should be noted that Vestas’ accounting policies only allow the recognition of revenue when the control has passed to the customer, either at a point in time or over time. Disruptions in production and challenges in relation to shipment of wind turbines and installation hereof, for example bad weather, lack of grid connections, and similar matters, may thus cause delays that could affect Vestas’ financial results for 2023. Further, movements in exchange rates from current levels may also impact the same results.
Outlook 2023
Revenue (bnEUR) | 14.0-15.5 |
EBIT margin (%) before special items | (2)-3 |
Total investments*) (bnEUR) | approx. 1 |
*) Excl. acquisitions of subsidiaries, joint ventures, associates, and financial investments.
Long-term financial ambitions
Wind power has outcompeted fossil fuel alternatives in most parts of the world, and the prospects for the coming years are promising, with wind power’s increasingly central role as critical infrastructure. Consequently, forecasts indicate average annual growth in total wind power capacity of 9 percent towards 2030.*)
Onshore
The demand for onshore wind power globally is expected to decline in 2023. But from 2024, a new phase of growth is expected driven by new increased ambitions for renewable energy, increased electrification, and corporate ambitions and activities. Adding to that, Vestas expects to see increasing contributions from its Development activities. On this background, Vestas maintains its long-term ambitions to grow faster than the market and be market leader in revenue within Onshore wind.
Offshore
The projections for the offshore business continue to build, and the long-term potential for the market remains very attractive. Based on the order backlog, Vestas expects to see a decline in activity towards 2025, while necessitating to invest heavily both in the organisation, supply chain, and technology. By 2025, upon the steep increase in annual offshore installations and Vestas’ new platform gaining traction in the market, Vestas aims to be a leading player in offshore wind power.
Based on these assumptions, Vestas has an ambition to achieve revenue in the Offshore business area of EUR +3bn by 2025, with an EBIT margin on par with the Onshore business.
Service
The wind power service market is expected to grow at a high single-digit rate, and Vestas maintains its ambitions for the long term for the Service revenue to grow faster than the market. In the longer term, the Service EBIT margin is expected at a level of around 25 percent, taking into account the integration of the Offshore business, which currently generates lower margins than Onshore.
General ambitions
Our industry needs structural change to increase profitability, especially within the wind turbine segment. The structural changes primarily entail strengthening the commercial discipline in customer dialogues, lowering the frequency of new technology introductions as well as maturing the assessment of risk.
In 2022, the gap between our financial results and our long-term financial ambitions increased, but the year underlined that Vestas is on the right strategic path to improve the industry structurally and build the commercial and operational maturity to achieve our financial ambitions. In that context, a 10 percent EBIT margin in 2025 remains realistic, although external headwinds from a challenging business environment continues to cloud near-term visibility and create uncertainty.
*) The forecast does not include China. Source: Wood Mackenzie: Global wind power market outlook update, Q4 2021. November 2021.
Long-term financial ambitions
Revenue | Grow faster than the market and be market leader in revenue |
EBIT margin before special items | At least 10 percent |
Free cash flow | Positive |
ROCE | 20 percent over the cycle |
Disclaimer and cautionary statement
This site contains forward-looking statements concerning Vestas’ financial condition, results of operations and business. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning Vestas’ potential exposure to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections, and assumptions. A number of factors that affect Vestas’ future operations and could cause Vestas’ results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this document, include (without limitation): (a) changes in demand for Vestas' products; (b) currency and interest rate fluctuations; (c) loss of market share and industry competition; (d) environmental and physical risks, including adverse weather conditions; (e) legislative, fiscal, and regulatory developments, including changes in tax or accounting policies; (f) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (g) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, and delays or advancements in the approval of projects; (h) ability to enforce patents; (i) product development risks; (j) cost of commodities; (k) customer credit risks; (l) supply of components; and (m) customer created delays affecting product installation, grid connections and other revenue-recognition factors. All forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained or referenced to in this statement. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in Vestas’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022 (available at vestas.com/en/investor) and these factors also should be considered. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. Vestas does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events other than as required by Danish law. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained at the website.