By Isabella Kaminski

Gamesa will invest over €60 million by 2012 to build new manufacturing plants in India. The company has had a presence in India for one year and the Indian wind power market already represents 8% of its sales (a total of 196 MW).

Gamesa plans to open a wind turbine blade factory this year, with an initial production capacity of 300 MW, and will localise production of its G9X-2.0 MW wind turbine in India in 2012.

The new factory, in the state of Gujarat in Northwest India, will make blades for the G5X-850 kW wind turbine. In the future the maufacturing facility may also produce components for higher capacity machines, such as the G9X-2.0 MW.

Gamesa intends to open additional manufacturing plants in India in coming years to produce wind turbine nacelles and towers (via joint ventures) at several locations in the states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

It has also opened a technology centre in Sholinganullar, Chennai. Gamesa plans to recruit 100 engineers in 2011 as it conducts research and development activities in India, though it says that it may double that number in 2012.

The technology centre will work closely with the local supply chain and collaborate with energy experts, universities and institutions to research and develop manufacturing materials and processes.

In February 2010, Gamesa began production at its first manufacturing site in India, in the area of Red Hills, adjacent the city of Chennai in southeast India. The facility, which makes Gamesa G58-850 kW wind turbines, was initially outfitted with annual production capacity of 200 MW but manufacturing capabilities because expectation was much higher than expected.