Nordex USA Inc., a subsidiary of wind turbine manufacturer Nordex AG, has announced plans to locate its U.S. manufacturing facility in Jonesboro, Ark. Nordex will invest approximately $100 million in the new facility, which will employ 700 people. The company is building on 187 acres in the Craighead Technology Park.
‘The new plant in Jonesboro is a key pillar in our international strategy,’ says Nordex CEO, Thomas Richterich. ‘It will enable us to serve the U.S., one of the fastest-growing markets for wind energy, and come closer to our objective of generating 20% of our revenues in the U.S.’
Nordex's Jonesboro operation will be an original equipment manufacturer that will comprise every component of a wind turbine except the tower, including the manufacturing of rotor blades and the assembly of nacelles. The facility will have a target annual assembly capacity of approximately 750 MW, with planned production to start by January 2010.
At the new plant, Nordex will focus on its 2.5 MW N90 and 2.5 MW N100 family of large-scale wind turbines, which is one of the largest series in the world. The average size of the newly installed turbines in the U.S. will be 1.7 MW.
As a result of this project, Jonesboro and the surrounding region can also expect numerous parts and components suppliers for Nordex to locate in the area, according to the company.
SOURCE: Nordex USA Inc.
