UPDATE 1-Hansen Transmissions core earnings up 18 pct

(Adds detail, share price)

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Hansen Transmissions International (HSNT.L), a Belgium-based maker of gearboxes for wind turbines, on Monday said full-year core earnings rose 18 percent as it continues to benefit from growing demand for wind power.

Hansen, which floated on the London stock market last December, said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to 61 million euros ($94.41 million) in the year ended March 31. Revenue rose 26 percent to 421 million euros.

The company said it has a strong order book until December 2009 and is targeting revenue growth of about 50 percent in the 2009 financial year.

"The continued growth in the international wind power market underpins our ambitions for the business," Chief Executive Ivan Brems said in a statement.

Global wind-energy installations rose 27 percent to 94 giga watts in 2007, and consultant BTM forecasts an average annual growth rate of about 20 percent until 2012 and beyond, Hansen said.

Hansen said it aims to expand its wind gearbox capacity towards 14,300 meg watts in the financial year 2012 from 3,795 MW per year in 2007.

The company said it hired 460 employees, increasing the staff by 32 percent to a total 1,894 at 31 March 2008, to cope with its planned expansion.

It expects to start production of wind turbine gearboxes at its new factory in India in September.

Hansen shares were up 1.9 percent at 245-1/2 pence at 0717 GMT. (Reporting by Erica Billingham; Editing by Quentin Bryar)