India – Suzlon to make REpower wind turbines at Mangalore plant

“There are definite plans to make REpower wind turbines at our Mangalore unit, which will be for the export wind farm markets,” Mr Tulsi Tanti, Chairman and Managing Director, Suzlon Energy Ltd, said. Suzlon has a facility at Padubidri, near Mangalore, which makes rotor blades, nacelles (the part at the top of the tower that holds components such as gears and brakes), nacelle covers and nose cones, with a total capacity of 1,500 MW a year.

Suzlon’s plan is to manufacture REpower’s 2-MW wind turbines in Mangalore and export them to wind energy markets such as the US, Canada, Australia and Brazil. It will source gearboxes from Hansen’s plant in Coimbatore (Suzlon is the single largest shareholder in Hansen), rotor blades from the Mangalore unit and generators and control systems from Coimbatore.

Starting manufacture of REpower turbines in India will be a major step for both Suzlon and REpower, as the two companies are looking at ways to cut costs in a highly competitive market with excess capacity. The two had signed an agreement under which Suzlon would support the latter as a sales agent in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Suzlon will use the New Mangalore port to export the turbines.

REpower has three production facilities in Germany and one in China, and makes onshore wind turbines of 2 MW and offshore wind turbines of up to 6.15 MW capacity. Suzlon and REpower together have a production capacity of 5,900 MW.

Starting manufacture of REpower turbines in India will be a major step for both Suzlon and REpower, as the two companies are looking at ways to cut costs in a highly competitive market with excess capacity. The two had signed an agreement under which Suzlon would support the latter as a sales agent in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Suzlon will use the New Mangalore port to export the wind turbines.

www.suzlon.com/