GE Renewable Energy today announces the production of the 1111th wind turbine blade at its LM Wind Power’s wind turbine blade manufacturing site in Turkey, four years after the start of the production at the new plant in Bergama. Devoted to respond to the growing demand for wind energy worldwide, including in Turkey, Europe and Asia, these 1111 blades are meant to capture the wind for a total capacity of about 1.58 GW.
Inaugurated in July 2017, the Bergama facility became the fifteenth LM Wind Power factory and the first opened after the company became a GE Renewable Energy business.
The Bergama factory represents a $80 million investment to Turkey. The construction of the site’s extension started at the end of April 2019, in order to set-up the factory to produce the innovative two-piece blade for GE’s Onshore Cypress turbine platform. Today, the Bergama site counts over 800 employees, 26 percent of whom are women, one of LM Wind Power’s leading sites for a diverse workforce.
Emre Kahya, Bergama Plant Director, LM Wind Power, said: “We are proud of what the team has achieved at the site since 2017 and we are excited to see the site continuously improving and growing, even more since we implemented the Lean mindset. In our factory, lean is not just a tool, it is a culture shaped by principles, it is a journey. Therefore, lean management is a part of our lives in a wide area, starting from our strategic directions and extend over to our long-term plans and daily management. While focusing on results and behaviors, we improve competencies in problem solving and waste hunting.”
LM Wind Power’s Bergama factory represents the company’s track record of growth in emerging wind markets and its expanding global presence, which strengthens GE Renewable Energy and LM Wind Power’s ability to serve all customers worldwide. The Bergama factory also addresses the needs of the fast-growing Turkish wind industry, providing blades to regional wind farms and creating skilled jobs.
GE Renewable Energy is a $15.7 billion business which combines one of the broadest portfolios in the renewable energy industry to provide end-to-end solutions for our customers demanding reliable and affordable green power. Combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, utility-scale solar, and grid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400+ gigawatts of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwide with its grid solutions. With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energy creates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable green electrons.
