The nacelle, which is located at the top of the wind turbine tower and functions to convert wind energy to electric power, consists of the wind turbine rotor axis, generator, multiplying gearbox, control system and electrical equipment.
The new facility to be built in Fort Smith, Arkansas, will be operated and managed by Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas (MPSA), MHI’s power systems business base in Florida. Construction on an already secured site of roughly 90 acres is slated to begin within this year.
MHI plans to begin operations with about 300 employees. The initial manufacturing target will be near 250 units of 2.4MW wind turbines per year, with scale to be expanded incrementally thereafter. MHI will also consider launching longer-blade type turbines for low wind-speed applications.
In conjunction with the plant construction project, the Arkansas state and Fort Smith municipal governments will provide incentive measures, complementing IRS 48C Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit.
MHI already has a turbine blade manufacturing plant VienTek located in Mexico serving the US market. By localizing nacelle production through the establishment of a plant in Fort Smith, MHI expects to further enhance its ability to respond to and satisfy growing demand throughout North America.
