Siemens Gamesa inaugurates first wind turbine blade plant in Africa and Middle East

• 7 years ago (2017-10-12)
• David Flin

Africa 320 Middle East 326 Wind 257

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Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has inaugurated its new wind turbine rotor blade factory in Tangier, Morocco, the first blade plant of a wind turbine manufacturer in Africa and the Middle East. The plant will be producing B63-10 blades for the SWT-DD-130 (up to 4.2 MW) platform turbines for export to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The blades are 63 m long. The plant will also produce other blade models in the future, some which can be up to 75 metres in length. These integral blades are based on licensed technologies, and made of composite materials.

The 37,500 square metre plant is located in the industrial zone of Tangier Automotive City, 35 km from Tangier port.

Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa, said: “This factory is good for our company and a solid business decision. We invest where we see strong business opportunities, and the opportunities here in Morocco are stronger than ever. The location in Tangier provides us with direct access to some of the most important markets of tomorrow – here in Morocco, throughout the Middle East, in Europe, and in the Mediterranean Region.”

The plant will have 600 people in direct employment, along with around 500 auxiliary jobs.