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Mitsubishi to build wind turbine factory in Arkansas

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has confirmed it will build a wind turbine manufacturing plant at Fort Smith, in the state of Arkansas.

The $100 million facility will produce nacelles, the central part of the turbine that includes the main generating, control and electrical systems.

It will be the first such plant for MHI outside Japan, and should see construction getting underway at a 90-acre site later this year – supported by state and local tax credits.

The company said yesterday that production will get underway in the second half of 2011 with a view to an initial production output of 600MW a year – or around 250 nacelle units for MHI’s 2.4MW machines each year.

Production will then expand incrementally each year.

The project will be operated and managed by MHI’s Florida-based subsidiary Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc., and should create around 300 jobs.

“Recovery trend”

Tokyo-based MHI said it is aiming to expand its share of the North American market now that it was in a “recovery trend”.

The company said yesterday: “The US wind turbine market slowed after the global financial crisis but is now in a recovery trend and expected to mark strong growth.”

MHI, which has been embroiled in legal proceedings with GE Energy over accusations of patent infringements, said yesterday that it is also considering launching new types of turbines with longer blades. The machines would be designed to produce electricity in lower wind speeds.

The largest wind turbine manufacturer in Japan, MHI has been producing wind turbines since 1980, and has been supplying the machines to the US since 1987.

To date, the company has provided more than 3,500 machines for the US market, and has a manufacturing plant in Mexico.

In yesterday’s statement, the company said: “By localizing nacelle production through the establishment of a plant in Fort Smith, going forward MHI will further enhance its ability to respond to and satisfy growing demand throughout North America.”