Siemens Gamesa plans US’s first offshore wind blade factory

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy plans to build the US’s first offshore wind blade factory.

It has signed a long-term lease agreement with the Virginia Port Authority for the 323,748m² site at Portsmouth Marine Terminal in the east coast state. 

The manufacturer will develop the site when it receives a firm order for Dominion Energy’s 2640MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) – Commercial Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) – Commercial (2640MW) Offshoreoff Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, North America Click to see full details project, for which it is currently the preferred supplier.

Siemens Gamesa expects to create about 260 jobs at the facility. It expects the plant to cost more than $200 million, but has not outlined how this will be funded.

It may expand the facility if it is awarded further projects in the region, the European manufacturer added.

Siemens Gamesa is due to supply its SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. A firm order is dependent on utility Dominion Energy’s final investment decision and governmental permitting. Federal agencies have begun environmental checks for the project.

More to follow.