Siemens Energy celebrated the official opening of its new wind turbine nacelle assembly facility in Hutchinson, Kan.
‘The U.S. is one of the most important wind power markets in the world, and by opening our first nacelle assembly facility in the U.S., we are closer to our customers, allowing us to better meet the strong demand for clean energy right where it's used,’ says Eric Spiegel, CEO of Siemens Corp. ‘We are optimistic that there will continue to be a long-term support system for wind power in the U.S., which will serve to solidify our country's growing energy independence using this clean and abundant natural resource to fulfill a sustainable electricity demand.’Â
With a five-year average growth rate of 39% and nearly 37 GW of installed wind power capacity, the U.S. is currently ranked No. 1 globally in terms of installed capacity, according to Siemens.
The new 300,000 square-foot facility has highway and rail access in order to ship completed nacelles to wind farms in the U.S. and throughout the Americas, according to Siemens.
The factory will produce nacelles for the company's 2.3 MW and 3 MW wind turbines. The first nacelles are scheduled to be shipped from the plant to Puget Sound Energy's 343 MW Lower Snake River project in Washington. The factory currently employs 130 people, a number that is expected to triple when the factory is fully operational.
SOURCE: Siemens
