German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex has announced that it will spend about $100 million to establish its own U.S. production facilities for wind turbines and rotor blades. The first locally produced 2.5 MW wind turbines are expected to enter the U.S. market as early as 2009, according to the company.
‘Four years ago, Europe constituted over 70 percent of the market,’ says Thomas Richterich, CEO of Nordex AG . ‘Looking forward, we expect Europe, Asia and the U.S. to each account for one-third of demand. Over the next few years, we want to generate around 20 percent of our sales in North America.’
Annual production capacity is expected to be 750 MW by 2012, initially entailing the assembly of wind turbines. By 2010, Nordex wants to invest two-thirds of the investment in rotor blade production. The production site has not been selected, although the company is considering the Midwest region. The company also anticipates moving its headquarters to Chicago in September.
SOURCE: Nordex AG
