GE Renewable Energy’s subsidiary LM Wind Power has agreed to acquire WMC wind turbine blade testing facility, located in Wieringerwerf in the Netherlands.
Image: WMC’s testing facility in the Netherlands. Photo: Courtesy of General Electric.
The facility will provide rotor hub testing for latest turbines from GE and will also continue to provide blade and other testing, digital tools, research and similar services to wider wind industry in the Netherlands and elsewhere.
The transaction is expected to be closed within a few weeks of time, subject to the completion of certain conditions.
GE also stated that LM Wind Power is planning to expand and develop its facility over time. It will retain all of its employees, comprising highly-qualified experts in composites and rotor blade testing.
WMC board chairman Aart van der Pal said: “The acquisition of the WMC wind turbine blade test facility in Wieringerwerf secures a promising future for the 23 employees and ensures growth and opportunity for this important Dutch facility. We look forward to playing a key role in the future developments of advanced wind turbine rotor blades.”
LM Wind Power is claimed to be experiencing growing presence in the Netherlands. It has a global management office at World Trade Center, Schiphol, with 44 employees representing 16 nationalities and a research facility in Heerhugowaard with 40 employees representing 14 nationalities.
GE acquired LM Wind Power in last April and the acquisition has helped in providing advanced wind turbine blades to its customers.
LM Wind Power CEO Duncan Berry said: “The new test facilities will further contribute to LM Wind Power’s research and development capabilities for the design and manufacture of advanced wind turbine blades and other components.
“We are delighted to retain the talented existing workforce and supplement LM Wind Power and GE’s growing presence in a strategic green industry in the Netherlands.
“These are valuable, senior, technical jobs and we provide employment to a significant and increasing number of graduates and post graduates from the best Dutch Universities including Delft, Twente, Eindhoven and Amsterdam.”