Siemens To Open Wind-Turbine Parts Manufacturing Plant In Hutchinson, Kansas

Published: 05-May-2009

By: Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

Siemens AG (Siemens) will open a $50 million wind-turbine parts manufacturing plant in Hutchinson, Kansas, for the North American market. The company is planning to start construction on the facilities in summer 2009. The plant will employ 400 workers for the production of wind-turbine drive trains, known as nacelles, at the 300,000 square foot facility by the end of 2010. An adjacent 80,000 square foot plant will provide repair and services for wind turbines.

Nacelles are 90 ton boxes, which will sit atop the tower of a wind turbine and connect the turbine blades to a drive train and gear box.

Siemens is planning to increase employment in its wind unit in US by 25% to 1,000 in the US, for a total of 5,500 globally.

Vestas and GE were a little bit ahead of us. They started in the wind business a little bit earlier, said Randy Zwirn, president and chief executive officer of Siemens Energy Inc., noting Siemens entered wind power in 2005 with the acquisition of a Danish firm. We have had solid growth.

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