Top international consultant in a growth sector

The Energy Division offers technical consulting services for the energy sector. It has operations in large parts of the world, and is a market leader in the Nordic region, Switzerland and the Baltic countries. It enjoys a strong standing in many areas of expertise, particularly nuclear power, where it is a world leader.

Energy – international growth business

The Energy Division offers technical and financial consulting services for the energy sector, with the emphasis on power generation and district heating. Services include everything from advice on investments to the implementation of power plant new-builds, which involves various aspects from operation to environmental adaptation.

As one of the largest independent international consulting companies in its field, the division is a world leader in nuclear power and one of the leading names in Europe and Russia in conventional power generation. Business is also expanding rapidly in India and South-East Asia, where ÅF has already established a strong position in some segments.

The division’s specialist expertise, breadth of experience and ability to take projects from the drawing board to implementation are some of the key factors behind its success.

The offer – consulting services for the entire investment cycle

The Energy Division offers a broad spectrum of services that includes expertise relating to technology, financing, management and energy consulting. While many assignments are connected to major investment projects, the division also regularly takes on projects to increase efficiency and capacity in existing plants. It also carries out environmental and safety investigations.

Energy offers services throughout the entire life cycle of an investment: analyses and feasibility studies in the initial stages, pre-engineering and engineering once the investment decision has been made, and project management during the implementation phase. This includes services such as project management/project control, the basic design of process solutions, procurement negotiations, manufacturing, design and installation inspections, and functionality testing. Once the plant is fully operational, the division can also assist with a range of other services, from troubleshooting to maintenance planning.

Clients – large-scale projects and partnerships

The Energy Division’s clients are private and publicly owned energy companies, energy-intensive industries, public institutions and financial institutions. These clients’ investments are usually large-scale and extend over many years. As such, client relationships are long-term and often characterised by a sense of partnership. Thanks to the fact that the division has established a presence in many different locations, geographical proximity to clients is good.

  • The division currently has several hundred clients.
  • A large proportion of clients come back with repeat business.
  • The ten largest clients account for 38 percent of the division’s sales.
  • Clients include Alpiq, Fortum, GUP TEK Saint Petersburg, Intekhpromenergy, Jyväskylän Voima, Kuopion Energia, Lietuvos Elektrine, the Ministry of Energy in Myanmar, Power Machines Company and Remnergomontash.

Market and trends – healthy order books despite weak market

The division began 2009 with well-filled order books, which ensured a good level of capacity utilisation despite the sluggish state of the economy. Economic uncertainty was greatest in Russia, the Baltic countries, Finland and South-East Asia. Towards the end of the year the markets stabilised and there were even signs of a slight upturn.

Despite the financial turmoil and rapid economic slowdown, the world still has a fundamental need for energy. Electricity consumption is increasing in many countries, driving a relentless quest for additional capacity that must be met by both conventional and renewable forms of energy. Furthermore, existing plant needs to be made more efficient in order to increase capacity and improve environmental performance. Sustainability issues relating to energy consumption have become a natural part of companies’ business opportunities in more and more markets.

On balance, it seems fair to assume that the energy sector is likely to remain a growth area with considerable potential.