Our EPC Contractor for this project, Vestas, and its partner, Marand Precision Engineering, have commenced production in the wind turbine assembly facility in Geelong.
Together with Marand, Vestas has fulfilled a significant milestone for its new wind turbine assembly facility in Geelong. The facility has commenced production of Drive-trains and Hubs, that will be produced and tested at the facility. Parts of these products are bound for the Berrybank Wind Farm in Western Victoria, awarded under the Victorian Renewable Energy Auction.
Located at the former Ford Motor Company manufacturing site on the Princes Highway in Geelong, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub (the Hub), a multi-disciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and Victoria’s New Energy Technologies strategy.
“I am pleased to see our Geelong facility commence production on schedule. This milestone could not have been achieved without the skills and experience of our local manufacturing service provider Marand,” said Peter Cowling, Head of Vestas Australia and New Zealand, “Vestas is extremely proud to be generating local business and job opportunities, providing new skills in the local work force and building Geelong as Australia’s new renewable energy hub.”
“Marand is happy to celebrate this important milestone with Vestas,” said Marand CEO Rohan Stocker. “We are leveraging our extensive manufacturing expertise and business systems, as well as growing our capability in the wind turbine assembly area.”
In addition to the wind turbine assembly facility, the Hub also includes four other initiatives:
1.Establishing the Western Victorian Service Support Centre to service the growing Vestas turbine fleet in Western Victoria;
2.Entering into a multi-year partnership with Federation University’s Ballarat Renewable Training Centre to deliver training and employment opportunities for wind turbine technicians;
3.Establishing the Vestas Australian Main Component Logistics Centre in Geelong, a specialist facility for the largest turbine spare parts;
4.Forming a partnership with Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus to research the next generation carbon fibre to use in making wind turbine blades longer, stronger and more productive.
