The factory will be established in conjunction with the company’s joint venture partner Eólice and will deliver blades to wind farms in Brazil and throughout South America. 

The factory -  LM Wind Power's first in Brazil - will be built in the port of Suape, near Recife in the State of Pernambuco, an area specially developed for the manufacture of wind energy equipment and components, covering the entire value chain of the wind industry. The site is adjacent to a world class port with a strong local workforce and the new blade manufacturing facility is intended to serve major wind farms in the North East of Brazil and beyond. 

The design and construction of the factory will be based on the company’s modular factory concept recently used for construction of its factories in the USA, Poland, and China. It will employ up to 300 people directly, with additional labour within the local supply chain.

The company expects blade production to start in September 2013 - agreements with customers have already been finalised, it says. In addition, LM Wind Powersays it is  in advanced negotiations with a number of wind turbine manufacturers who have expressed a need for larger blades between 40m and 70m in length for future wind power auctions.

Make sure you get the full low-down on the current state of play in Brazil's wind power market by subscribing to Renewable Energy Focus now - our September/October issue, due out shortly, includes a Brazil market overview, including an assessment of the challenges for the future, written by Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council.