Vestas and Marand partner for wind turbine manufacture

Global sustainable energy solutions provider Vestas has entered a partnership with Geelong-based manufacturing company Marand Precision Engineering to establish a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Geelong. The partnership will allow Vestas to bring its wind turbine assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector.

Located at the former Ford Motor manufacturing site on the Princes Highway, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub (the Hub), a multidisciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) and New Energy Technologies strategy. The facility will make 4 MW drivetrains and hubs and test components for the Dundonnell Wind Farm and Berrybank Wind Farm projects, successful in the first VRET auction. The facility will also support future wind projects in Australia.

Vestas Asia Pacific President Clive Turton said, “Vestas is committed to building new skills in the local workforce in Geelong, and with our wind turbine component assembly and testing capability, we are helping build on Geelong’s background as a heavy manufacturing hub and use that to establish a renewable energy hub. In Marand, we are partnering with an experienced manufacturing service provider with outstanding capabilities and skilled personnel. Their experience in the automotive, aerospace, defence and rail industries meets all of our requirements around quality and technical expertise.”

Established in 1969, Marand is one of the largest manufacturing workshops in Australia. Under the agreement, Marand will supply facility space, personnel and equipment to meet Vestas’ manufacturing requirements. Vestas will provide testing equipment, assembly line layout, production training and supervision, and transportation of all components to the assembly area.

Marand CEO Rohan Stocker commented, “We look forward to this strategic partnership with Vestas. Marand has decades of experience across a variety of industries, where our manufacturing expertise and business systems truly set us apart from our competitors. We look forward to adding value to the renewable industry, and this partnership will greatly help us expand our capability in this growing field.”

Dundonnell Wind Farm owner Tilt Renewables and Berrybank Wind Farm project developer/owner Global Power Generation (GPG) welcomed the announcement.

Image courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S.