*

Siemens Gamesa CEO Eickholt to step down by end-July

*

To resume 4.X sales in Europe by end-September

*

Now expects 2024 sales to grow by 10-12%

*

Q2 profit before special items up more than fourfold

(Adds details on results, trader comment in paragraphs 9-10)

By Christoph Steitz and Tom Käckenhoff

FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF, May 8 (Reuters) - Siemens Energy

will replace the boss of its troubled wind turbine

division after little more than two years in the job, the

company said on Wednesday, also raising its outlook for 2024

primarily on the back of its power grid business.

The group, in presentation slides alongside second-quarter

results, said that sales of its 4.X onshore turbine, one of the

platforms plagued by quality issues and responsible for a

group-wide crisis, would resume in Europe by the end of

September.

It made no mention on when sales of the 5.X model, the other

affected platform, would restart.

Jochen Eickholt, who took over as Siemens Gamesa CEO in

March 2022, will step down at the end of July and be replaced by

Siemens Energy board member Vinod Philip, the company said,

adding it was time for a generational change at the struggling

business that has been loss-making for years.

Eickholt, a Siemens veteran, led the wind turbine maker

through its most turbulent time since it was created in 2017,

including last year's product quality crisis that prompted

Siemens Energy to seek billions of euros in state-backed

guarantees.

"It is only fair to emphasize that the causes of the quality

problems did not fall under his tenure as CEO," Siemens Energy

CEO Christian Bruch said.

Going forward, Siemens Gamesa's onshore business will be

focused on two main markets, Europe and the United States, the

group said, fleshing out a more streamlined approach first

flagged late last year.

Thanks to strong demand for power grid equipment, Siemens

Energy raised its outlook for sales, operating profit and free

cash flow, now expecting revenues to grow by 10-12% in 2024.

Second-quarter profit before special items rose more than

fourfold to 170 million euros in the second quarter.

"Very strong reporting. Visibility to us seemed rather low

so this is a positive surprise," a local trader said.