Vestas to build wind turbine tower factory in Colorado

Sherrie Peif, (Bio) speif@mywindsornow.com
May 8, 2008

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Vestas Wind Systems announced early Thursday morning its intent to build the world's largest wind turbine tower factory in Colorado.

The announcement came though it's first quarter financial report, posted on its Web site. It is not known if the plant will join its current facility in Windsor in the Great Western Industrial Park.

Windsor town manger Kelly Arnold could not comment on the matter.

Earlier this year, Vestas opened its first American blade manufacturing facility in Windsor's Great Western Industrial Park.

That 350,000 square-foot facility, kicking off what officials will produce more than 500, 40-meter wind turbines a year when the plant is fully operational, according to company officials.

This is the second expansion since Vestas first announced its intentions to build the blade facility here last year.

Originally, the company planned to employ 450 people at full capacity. But an expansion announced late in 2007 added an additional 250 jobs at minimum.

The report states the company decided to open the plant in Colorado despite an American policy on wind power that is a "highly short-term approach."

"With 25 states in the USA already having adopted targets for renewable energy's proportion of the local energy mix, Vestas is, however, confident that the USA will henceforth pursue a more long-term energy policy," the report said. "The tower facility investment, which underlines Vestas’ belief in a robust US growth market, is expected, along with national legislative measures, soon to convince more European sub-suppliers to come to the USA where they can join forces with Vestas to support the wind power investments made by North American customers."

The near $250 million tower production facility is expected to be fully operation in mid 2010 with an annual processing capacity of 200,000 tons of steel, or 900 towers, and bring 400 new jobs to the state.

Vestas also plans to establish a research and development center in the United States in 2009.

For more on the story see Friday's edition of Windsor Now.