The new plant will directly employ between 80 and 100 people once it is operation at full capacity. Hundreds of further jobs will be created from the manufacture of subcomponents and assemblies, which the company intends to source from within the New England region and across the country. Proposed manufacturing facility will be powered by wind turbine.
Training, testing and research and development efforts will engage many of the region’s colleges and universities. The company intends to erect one of the 750 kW turbines at its manufacturing facility in order to generate its own power, thus creating a green energy ‘breeder’ manufacturing facility. Aeronautica Windpower is currently raising the capital required for expansion and is negotiating for space at several locations around the region. Company officials hope that a portion of the Economic Stimulus money distributed from the Federal government may be obtained for this purpose.
The new plant will produce 225 and 750 kW turbines, the size used by schools and other municipal facilities, shopping centers, industrial parks, and ‘community wind’ projects. Unlike the massive wind turbines used at wind farms in the Midwest, these ‘Queen-sized’ machines are designed to fit on smaller land parcels in more populated areas, thereby powering the facility directly (Distributed Generation). A select number of these machines will be made available at discounts to schools and colleges across the nation under a unique program specifically for facilities with good wind resources. For each 750 kW turbine made and installed in the states, over 1.6million gallons of foreign oil is displaced the equivalent of a line of oil tank trucks more than three miles long.
Combined with new Federal economic stimulus plans and the Obama administration’s support for renewable energy Aeronautica Windpower believes the future is very bright – even in a down economy.
“It is only fitting that the roots of a new US manufacturing sector would take hold in the place where our nation began,” said Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray.
“Expanding our economic base to include cutting-edge manufacturing and technology is going to allow Massachusetts to emerge from this dark fiscal hour with a new outlook for a stronger, brighter future. I commend Aeronautica for its commitment to our area and our workers.”
Company spokesperson Brian Kuhn, explained the reasons behind expanding Aeronautica Windpower’s manufacturing operations in the northeast. “There is a large market for wind power in the region, because of our high power costs and the availability of ‘commercial grade’ wind in many locations. Shipping costs into the area are high and lead times are long. And new energy bills around the country continue to make wind power very attractive; we think we are seeing the formation of a ‘perfect storm’ for this product.” Kuhn noted that Massachusetts’ new 2008 Energy Bill, which goes into effect shortly, is considered by many in the wind industry to be the best model around the nation.
Norwin spokesperson Ole Sangill expressed enthusiasm about the new relationship, saying, “We are excited about working with Aeronautica Windpower to bring our proven turbine designs into the North American marketplace. As wind power continues to develop in this region of the world we believe we have just the right turbines for thousands of commercial, industrial and municipal applications.”
