Publish Date : 22-Nov-2014
Today, Gamesa, a global technology leader in wind energy, inaugurated the expanded nacelle facility in Mamandur, close to Chennai, in India. The new installed production line will mainly be used to produce the G114-2.0 MW turbine model, which Gamesa expects to introduce into the Indian market over the course of 2015. In addition, as it is configured as a multi-model line, it will be possible to make two models in parallel: the G114-2.0 MW and the G97-2.0 MW. Both turbines are part of Gamesa's 2.0 MW-2.5 MW platform, 500 MW of which have already been installed in India.
The investment in this new and enhanced production line will increase the factory's existing annual capacity up to 1,700 MW. The company's Indian nacelle factory began to operate in July 2013. Since then, 900 MW of Gamesa's 850 KW and G97-2.0 MW turbines have been assembled at the facility. In recent years, India has emerged as one of the countries with the greatest potential for wind energy: according to BTM, India's installed capacity is set to increase from 21,000 MW to 36,000 MW by the end of 2018 due to growing demand for energy.
Thanks to its solid position in this market, Gamesa ended 2013 as India's leading OEM, with a market share of 20%. In the third quarter of 2014, this country accounted for 27% of total group sales. "In order to defend this position and reinforce our commitment to development of the country's wind energy sector, over the next five years we plan to invest around €100 million in strengthening our manufacturing capabilities especially for the launch of new products like G114-2.0 MW, further developing our local supply chain and increasing our wind farm development pipeline, a strong competitive advantage in India", remarked Ignacio Martín, Gamesa's Chairman and CEO, during the inauguration ceremony.
Xabier Etxeberria, Gamesa's Business CEO, meanwhile explained that "technology is a key source of differentiation in terms of maintaining our competitive edge in India. The new G114-2.0 MW turbine which Gamesa will introduce into the Indian market in 2015 significantly cuts the cost of energy of the products custom-designed by the company for low and medium wind speed sites, thereby maximising their performance". With a rotor spanning 114 metres, the G114-2.0 MW turbine's sweep area is 38% greater than that of the G97-2.0 MW, while it produces 20% more energy per annum. To date, Gamesa has locked in orders for over 800 MW of this new model, which is underpinned by proven technology, validated in the Gamesa 2.0-2.5 MW platform, one of the most reliable in the market, having been installed in 33 countries(cumulative installed capacity: 18,000 MW).
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