Applus+, a company specialising in the inspection, testing and certification industry, has announced that it is acquiring 100% of Barlovento Recursos Naturales, a technical consultancy based in Spain and focused on the wind energy industry. The deal has been completed and Barlovento will now be integrated into its new owner’s Energy & Industry division.

This acquisition will strengthen Applus+'s technical services offering in the renewable energy market and will position it as one of the industry’s leading suppliers in Spain and Latin America, where most of Barlovento's revenue come from. In addition, it will gain an important presence in the United States, Europe and Australia.

Complementary capabilities
The purchase comes at a time of strong growth for Barlovento, which has over 140 employees and annual revenue in excess of 13 million euros. Its highly specialised technical knowledge complements Applus+'s capabilities in the renewables industry. In addition, it has a significant portfolio of framework agreements for recurring projects with electricity companies and independent energy producers.

Headquartered in Spain, Applus+ is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange's continuous market and its shareholders include foreign banks such as JP Morgan Chase (7.92%), Morgan Stanley (12.2%) and Goldman Sachs (5.8%). With over twenty years’ experience in the renewable energy industry, its portfolio includes non-destructive testing, industrial and environmental inspection, quality control, engineering and consultancy, supplier surveillance, inspection and asset integrity services.

International accreditations
Among the services provided by Barlovento to its buyer, the company highlights wind resource and production studies; wind turbine power curve measurement; testing and technical inspection, including measurement campaigns and accredited tests in its laboratories; and engineering and technical consultancy services. It uses proprietary software, and its work is backed by international accreditations. Its team consists mainly of engineers and technical experts.

Applus+ Energy & Industry Division Vice President Javier Lopéz Serrano praised the purchase, “Barlovento fits perfectly into our strategic plan, expanding our services in renewable energy. Combining Barlovento's equipment, expertise, proprietary solutions and client relationships with those from Applus+ allows us to offer a complete portfolio of services for solar, wind and energy storage projects, and to have the necessary expertise to contribute to the rapid growth of this industry”.

Growing profitably
Applus+ CEO Joan Amigó stressed that the purchase “perfectly complements our current presence in renewable energy and will create opportunities for further profitable growth”.

Barlovento CEO Rafael Zubiaur added, “I am confident that we can provide Applus+ with additional resources, including services, solutions and customer relationships, which will benefit both our customers and the two companies”.

^{Photo: Applus}