Flender Expands Into Brazil: New Service Location Strengthens Wind Energy Business in South America

Bocholt (Germany) - Drive technology specialist Flender is further expanding its presence in South America and has officially opened a new location in Brazil. The company is taking over the service business of Wärtsilä, significantly increasing its capacities in the wind energy and industrial gearbox segments.

The new Flender site in Cabo de Santo Agostinho near Recife offers state-of-the-art testing capabilities for wind turbine gearboxes. By integrating the Wärtsilä team, Flender is strengthening local customer support while also expanding its service portfolio for industrial gearboxes, couplings, and generators. The timing coincides with the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which came into force on May 1 and, from Flender’s perspective, opens up new economic opportunities.

Local commitment and expansion of wind service capacities

Flender has opened its new location in Brazil, thereby expanding its service presence in South America. The acquisition of the wind turbine and industrial gearbox service business of Wärtsilä Brazil forms the basis for this expansion - a collaboration that already began in 2018 as a partnership.

“The establishment of our own location in Brazil is a logical step in advancing our service business in South America. It lays the foundation for long-term growth, further investments and even closer collaboration with our customers across the region,” explains Andreas Evertz, CEO of Flender.

The site in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, around 35 kilometers south of Recife, features testing capacities for modern wind turbine gearboxes across more than 5,000 square meters - a first in Latin America. The goal is to increase the availability of wind turbines in the region, shorten delivery times, and improve service quality through locally available spare parts. Future expansions of test bench and crane capacities are intended to enable maintenance of next-generation wind turbine drivetrains.

Brazil’s role as an important hub for renewable energy is being further strengthened by the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Flender sees this as an opportunity to deepen existing customer partnerships and efficiently expand its service offering in a growing market.

Integration of the Wärtsilä team and expansion of the industrial business

With the acquisition of the Wärtsilä service business, Flender is integrating qualified specialists from sales, workshop operations, and management into its own team.

“With the opening of the location in Brazil, we are ready from day one to serve our customers locally. Thanks to the long-standing cooperation with Wärtsilä as a service partner, we already have an established network, local expertise and a deep understanding of the Brazilian market. We are now building on this strong foundation,” says Antti Turunen, VP Wind Service.

In addition to wind services, the new location also opens up growth opportunities in the areas of industrial gearboxes, couplings, and generators. This strengthens Flender’s market presence and expands its global service network. The official signing took place on August 18, 2025, and the Brazilian competition authority CADE approved the transaction unconditionally, completing the acquisition.

Flender, headquartered in Bocholt, Germany, is considered a leading provider of technology-driven drive solutions. With more than 8,000 employees worldwide, the company has been supplying gearboxes, couplings, generators, and digital lifecycle services for key industries such as wind energy, power generation, cement, plastics, marine, and metal processing for over 125 years. According to EcoVadis, the company ranks among the top 1 percent of the world’s most sustainable companies.

Source: IWR Online, May 05 2026