About us
Two companies, one shared management, thirty years in the market.
Background
In February 2007, Mr. Manuel José Caetano, as founder and majority shareholder, set up the new company POWERGENIUS — Energia e Ambiente, Lda. (“PWG”), intended to operate mainly as a provider of technical and commercial advisory services, with particular focus on renewable energy projects.
He subsequently acquired, directly and indirectly, the entirety of the share capital of Pinto Basto Energia, Lda. (“PBE”) (established in 1997), the company where he had held senior management positions since it was founded.
PBE originated from a spin-off of a business unit that had operated for many years within a family-owned group of companies, and continued its activity in the sales representation and distribution of systems and equipment for power generation, and HV/MV equipment for transmission and distribution networks.
PWG operates primarily as a provider of specialised technical and commercial advisory services, as well as commercial representative for international equipment suppliers, in the field of renewable energy and the environment.
Shared management
PWG and PBE share the same management, with solid engineering and business background and many years of continued activity in the energy and environment sectors. A strong entrepreneurial mindset and clear commercial orientation, combined with substantial experience operating in multicultural environments, enable us to provide high value-added services to our Principals and business partners.
Manuel José Caetano · founder and managing director
Manuel graduated as Electrical Engineer (power systems) from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon, and is a member of the Portuguese professional association “Ordem dos Engenheiros”. He further holds a postgraduate qualification in business management and an MBA in general management, both from ISCTE.
Started his career as a trainee electrical engineer with the Portuguese utility EDP, designing MV overhead lines. He completed compulsory military service in the Portuguese Navy, where he also acted as assistant teacher of mathematics at the Naval Academy. From 1987 he joined the Pinto Basto group of companies, in the technical division focused on power generation technologies, taking on commercial responsibilities and eventually leading the unit.
Over many years he led the commercial development of businesses across different power generation technologies — from small hydro turbines to industrial gas-turbine cogeneration — typically as the local representative of OEMs.
Languages: Portuguese (native), English (business fluent), French, German (B1.2, Goethe-Institut Lisbon), Spanish (reasonable understanding through linguistic proximity).
