GE announced expansion of its wind turbine manufacturing facility in Campinas, São Paulo, creating 35 new skilled jobs.
GE also plans to open two wind services centers in Brazil. One of them will be located in Bahia and the second on in Rio Grande do Norte. Together, they will employ more than 100 service technicians.
The expansion aligns with the company’s strategy to establish a stronghold in the emerging wind energy market in Brazil. At the end of 2012, Brazil had 2.5 GW of installed wind capacity, enough to power four million households, accounting for 2 percent of national electricity consumption.
In 2012 alone, the wind energy market in Brazil contributed for an investment of USD 3.43 billion, accounting for 1.07 GW of additional capacity and creating 15,000 new jobs. Of the total wind capacity added in 2012, 40 percent were contributed by GE.
With an expanding fleet of 500 wind turbines throughout the country, GE continues to invest in Brazil and put advanced technology and local expertise to work for the region.
Campinas facility is co-located with Brazilian machinery manufacturer and GE Group subsidiary GEVISA and will produce machine heads, also known as nacelles, for GE1.7-100 and 1.85-82.5 wind turbines.
The Campinas facility expansion will enable GE to continue to provide high-quality wind technology while enabling its customers to have access to Brazil’s BNDES financing lines, Jean-Claude Robert, general manager of Latin America, said.
GE has been serving Brazil wind market since 1919 and, today, employs more than 8,500 people in the country. The company has operations throughout Brazil, including in Bahia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.