Gestamp steps on strongly into the South African wind energy

Gestamp Wind Steel will have a facility located in Cape Town area with a required workforce over 250 people that will be able to manufacture around 200 steel wind towers per year. Gestamp Solar Steel in turn will deploy a facility located in Johannesburg area, with a required workforce over 115 people capable of manufacturing PV and CSP technologies steel structures for 350 MW per year.

These manufacturing facilities will be fully operating before the end of 2012 with the aim of supplying steel components to first round preferred bidder projects, assisting them to comply with the local content requirements stated in the IPP program.

According to Javier Imáz, CEO of Gestamp Renewable Industries “With these investments, Gestamp Renewable Industries reinforces its intentions to make South Africa a key market in its global strategy”. He also stated that “with these manufacturing facilities we will be able to deploy and share our know-how with the local market”.

In addition, Gestamp Renewables, through the subsidiaries Gestamp Wind and Gestamp Solar will also start this year with the construction of their projects awarded in the first round of the IPP program. Gestamp Wind with 75 MW wind farm located in the Karoo area (Victoria West), with an investment of around 1,6 Billion Rand; and Gestamp Solar with two PV projects (18 MW and 12 MW) located both also in the Northern Cape with an investment of around 1 Billion Rand.

Both projects, Wind Power and photovoltaic solar power are expected to be under operation by the end of 2013.

Gestamp Renewable Industries was born through the tower manufacturing business and now consolidating its position as the main global industrial supplier for the renewable energy markets.

Gestamp Renewable Industries has two core businesses:

Gestamp Wind Steel- Is managing several plants which integrate the industrial processes of wind towers and flanges around the world for leading OEMs in the wind energy markets. In addition to manufacturing the wind towers itself, it also equips each wind tower according to targeted specifications of each individual customer.

Gestamp Solar Steel- Specializes in the integration of solar solutions by developing metal structures for the solar industry. The key to being a global leader is to serve local markets. Our strategy of market diversification allows Gestamp Solar Steel to assure our customers that their projects will always have the support of a global leader.

Corporación Gestamp, the parent company of Gonvarri Steel Industries, is a multinational leader in Europe in the steel, automotive components and renewable energy sectors it is currently present in over 25 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, with over 120 plants. Composed by a global workforce of over 30,000 employees, Corporación Gestamp had total revenues of over 7 billion in 2011.

Gestamp Renewable Industries (www.gestamprenind.com) is a division of Gonvarri Steel Industries. Since its inception, Gonvarri Steel Industries has been dedicated to the processing of steel. Over the course of the years, it has consolidated its presence – first in Spain, and then subsequently through a process of internalization becoming the European leader in Steel Service Centers and renewable energy components having consolidated its presence in Europe, Latin America and taking important positions in Asia and USA.

www.gestampwind.com