Wind turbine blade maker LM Wind Power has announced plans to expand its manufacturing base into South Africa
In 2011, LM Wind Power had signed a cooperation agreement with Industrial Development Corp. to jointly work to establish local manufacturing of blades in Africa.
The company has said that it will be looking for a suitable site location for a blade manufacturing facility on the coast of South Africa between Cape Town and the Port Elizabeth.
LM Wind Power claimed that the factory will be able to generate employment of up to 300 people once fully operational.
According to LM Wind Power, the South African government recently launched tenders for several megawatts of renewable energy, which will call for increased local manufacturing of related components.
LM Wind Power vice president of sales and marketing Soren Hoffer said, “The development in South Africa coupled with increased local content requirements have the potential to drive the development of a local wind energy supply chain, which could ultimately lead to South Africa becoming a manufacturing hub for all of or part of the African continent.”
