NOTUS energy initiates, plans and builds wind and solar farms worldwide. As an Independent Power Producer (IPP), the company can execute large-scale international projects as a general contractor or take over technical and commercial operations as an asset manager. Hannah Barnett spoke to Head of International Project Development Rico Koch to learn more about some of the company’s key moves.
IN2001, NOTUS energy was founded in Germany with the vision to develop and expand renewable energy projects around the world. Founder, Owner and CEO Heiner Röger had already been working in the field for some time and found himself inspired by the architectural beauty of a turbine.
“It is a story of German entrepreneurship,” said Rico Koch, Head of International Project Development. “Someone had an idea and they started something from scratch, on their own. Then they developed the idea and grew it. This has happened
over last 250 years of history in Germany with business giants like Volkswagen and Siemens. NOTUS is a bit like that, though of course, not on that level yet. But maybe we will reach those heights in 10, 20 or 50 years.” Such ambition does not seem unrealistic when looking at the company’s success over the last two decades.
NOTUS started from humble beginnings – it was founded in Potsdam with seven engineers. It now has around 400 employees, 350 of them engineers, the majority based at its HQ, with around 50 across the world. The company has already installed approximately 2GW of renewable energy in 14 countries in the world.
With an accompanying turnover in the hundreds of millions of Euros and a 400MW potential capacity, NOTUS is also well equipped for the future. This readiness will be supported by the large, resourceful team of engineers. “Many of our team have been working more than 20 years in this business, which means 6,000 years of experience,” Mr Koch added.
Future-making projects
As an international operation, NOTUS has offices and key markets in areas like France, Chile, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.
In Ukraine, one particularly significant ongoing project involves the development of a site in Chernobyl. This is in collaboration with the Ukrainian government and intended to be part of the country’s reconstruction, though it is still in a relatively early stage.
“We have signed an agreement with the TSO in Ukraine to start the project,” explained Mr Koch. “Chernobyl will be one of the biggest renewable energy projects in Ukraine. Of course, working
in an ex-nuclear area, there are a lot of challenges to overcome, but we are making a start. Nobody knows what the future will bring, especially in that region, but we hope we will have the chance to install 1GW, or more. There is the capacity, because the grid connection is there, which is not the case everywhere we work.”
Following a traditional development timeline, the company hopes to have installed a site in Chernobyl within the next five to seven years. Mr Koch admitted this may be unlikely when considering the unpredictable nature of the situation there. “But I am optimistic,” he added.
NOTUS
The company now has around 20 people in Kyiv working on this and other projects in the country. “We are also quite strong in the Western Balkan area, places like Albania and Bosnia, where we also see potential in the new countries which are planning to be part of the European Union,” Mr Koch said. “They do not have many renewable power sites and are still working with coal and gas pipelines. That is why we are there, to bring our product. NOTUS is all about the environmentally friendly development of renewable energy in places that can benefit from it.”
Dynamic partnerships
In recognition of the fact that bringing about substantial change requires a team effort, NOTUS has invested in several significant startups. These include TOPseven, a German company specialised in globally patented high-tech solutions for automated drone-assisted inspections. It is the company’s stated vision to make all types of infrastructure safer and therefore to increase service life.
“TOPseven develops AI-powered software for drones to be used in various
applications,” Mr Koch explained. “Initially, the idea was to inspect rotor blades with the drones, but this has now expanded to include mining inspection, overhead line surveys and more. They are located in Munich and are very successful.”
The company has also invested in 4Cast, which uses AI to generate yield assessments of wind and solar farms and predict energy outputs of the renewable energy units in question.
“During construction, we also collaborate with suppliers of substations, like Hitachi, plus some small and medium sized enterprises worldwide,” Mr Koch explained. “But I would say our main clients in the supply chain are the manufacturers of wind turbines, because we are buying the product from them.
“We have companies like Vestas, Nordex and Siemens Gamesa in our portfolio. We have also formed relationships with ENERCON and General Electric. It is trust on both sides that makes these business relationships so strong and successful.”
What’s in a name?
NOTUS energy is named after the Ancient Greek god of the south-west wind, Νότος (Notus). Notus is associated with the storms of late summer and early autumn. Notus is one of the four directional Anemoi (WindGods) and brother to Boreas (north wind), Zephyrus (west wind) and Eurus (east wind).
A valuable resource
But it is not merely strong external relationships which make the company tick. The team of highly skilled and experienced engineers have been engaged in the development and implementation of renewable energy projects for many years. This gives the company a strong competitive advantage.
“Our staff are a huge and valuable resource,” Mr Koch said. “Plus, NOTUS is still owned by one person, which allows for quick decision making and openness for various projects. There's an enormous amount of trust from the management. Every employee has development opportunities. I personally started as a student at the company, and now I'm leading the NOTUS investment abroad.”
As NOTUS continues to build its IPP portfolio around the world, and the realities of climate change become ever starker, Mr Koch is certain that demand for the company’s services will only continue grow.
“NOTUS understands the social and environmental standards that will soon become globally prevalent,” he concluded. “Our experience in the development of such projects will be vital. The world needs our product. This product has value, not just money wise, it has value for society.”
