Wind Turbines Factory Watch: Global Blade Technology: Indiana

The clean technology company, a subsidiary of Global Blade Technology, will lease and equip 45,000 square feet of space. The new office and manufacturing wind power facility will house the company’s engineering design and consultancy offices and the production lines of wind blades, molds and tooling.

In 2013, the company plans to build an additional wind energy facility in southern Indiana to manufacture composite rotor blades for wind turbines. The company projects investment of $17.6 million for leasing, construction and equipment costs at the two facilities.

“Indiana has been the nation’s fastest-growing wind power state, and it is now being reflected in the arrival of great supplier companies like GBT,” said Daniels. “We are thrilled to have earned the business of this outstanding international company.”

Indiana increased its installed wind farm capacity tenfold in 2009 and 2010, becoming one of the fastest growing states for wind power. With 2.4 percent of the state’s power provided by wind last year, Indiana is ranked 12th in the country for most installed wind power capacity, all of it in the last few years. It is estimated that the wind power industry created up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Hoosier state in 2010.

Tom Gray, www.awea.org/blog/