Spanish wind turbine factories close due to coronavirus restrictions

• 4 years ago (2020-04-02)
• David Flin

Europe 1068 Wind 240

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Denmark’s Vestas has suspended production at its two Spanish wind turbine plants, adding that its service and maintenance business was still working. Vestas has also paused manufacturing and construction in India. Vestas said that shutting down the factories in Spain was a response to the country’s lockdown efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Siemens Gamesa has suspended production at six Spanish factories. It said that four components factories are still partially running, at Reinosa on the north coast, Cuenca near Madrid, Mungia, and Siguiero.

Germany’s Nordex , which is 36 per cent owned by Spain’s Acciona, has stopped all of its production in Spain, including two nacelle casing factories in Barasoain and Vall d’Uixo, as well as a rotor blade site in Lumbier.

Industry association WindEurope said: “Some factories have temporarily paused activity as a precautionary step to strengthen sanitary measures within the sites and guarantee full compliance with government recommendations.”

Consultancy Wood Mackenzie said that it expects the pandemic to result in new installations in the global wind sector shrinking by 4.9GW to 73GW this year compared to last year’s figures