The factory will manufacture nacelles for the company’s next-generation wind turbines, designed for deployment at sea with a capacity of 7 MW. The new factory in Cuxhaven will be one of Siemens most significant new production facilities in Germany in recent years, creating up to 1,000 new jobs. Construction of the factory will begin later this year with production of the first components starting in mid-2017.
The production facility will cover 170,000 square metres – equivalent to roughly 24 football fields – and will be located on the edge of Cuxhaven’s harbour area. This will allow heavy components to be loaded directly onto transportation vessels, thereby avoiding expensive ground transportation. The factory will handle final assembly of generators, hubs and nacelle back-ends.
“The decision to build a new production facility in Cuxhaven represents a clear commitment to Germany as a business location” said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “The new Siemens factory will employ up to 1,000 skilled employees. The expansion of offshore wind power capacity in Germany and Europe represents an enormous opportunity for northern Germany and Siemens.”
Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division, added that Germany and Northern Europe are dynamic growth markets for the company. The new factory will also help Siemens to achieve its goal of making wind power competitive. A study recently published by RenewableUK has found that the costs of offshore wind have declined by 11 percent over the last five years alone. Germany is the most significant market for offshore wind after the UK.
Siemens is also currently constructing a plant for rotor blades in Hull, UK, for 6 MW and 7 MW wind turbines. This plant is also expected to become fully operational in 2017. To-date, Siemens has sold around 3,100 wind turbines, installing more than 1,470 at sea with a total capacity of 4.7 GW. The company also plays a leading role in the installation of offshore grid connections and offshore services.
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