Valentino Valentini (second from the right), Italy's Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy at the inauguration of the Vestas production line in Taranto. © Vestas
Europe's wind turbine manufacturing capacity is ramping up to meet the EU climate and energy security targets. This week Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas inaugurated a new production line for offshore wind blades in Taranto, Italy. The factory expansion will produce state of the art 15 MW offshore wind blades. It will create 1,300 additional direct jobs, plus many more indirect jobs from suppliers and related services in the region. This a prime example of how EU money can help unlock investments in cutting edge clean tech manufacturing in Europe - and of the economic benefits generated by wind in Europe.
This week WindEurope took part in the inauguration of a new production line for offshore wind blades in Taranto, Italy. Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has been manufacturing onshore wind turbines in Taranto since 1998. With the latest expansion Vestas is now starting to manufacture state of the art 115m long blades for its V236-15 MW offshore wind turbine in Taranto as well.
This a prime example of how EU money can support investments in cutting edge clean tech manufacturing in Europe. The EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility has played an important role in Vestas decision to scale up its manufacturing footprint in Italy. The project has benefitted from Italy's Recovery and Resilience Plan channeled by Invitalia, Italy's National Agency for Investment Attraction and Enterprise Development. Vestas also named the availability of skilled local workforce in Southern Italy and the 26-years of manufacturing experience in the factory as a key factor in choosing to invest in Taranto.
The project also illustrates the economic benefits generated by wind energy in Europe. The new production line has already given a significant boost to local employment in the Apulia region. With this expansion, the workforce at the factory increased from around 700 to over 1,600 employees. To support the production ramp-up, the company expects to reach 2,000 employees at the factory over the coming months.
"The inauguration is an important step in the ramp up of Europe's wind energy supply chain. The new production line will boost Europe's manufacturing capacity for powerful, modern offshore wind turbines and help strengthen Europe's wider energy security. It's a blueprint for what the EU's industrial strategy and its Clean Industrial Deal need to aim for: boosting clean tech manufacturing to deliver clean and competitive energy at scale", says WindEurope Chief Policy Officer Pierre Tardieu.
The European wind energy supply chain is quickly ramping up. It is currently investing more than 10bn in constructing and/or expanding 30 factories across Europe. More investmest will follow soon. Just last week the European Commission announced that 6 wind energy manufacturing projects were among the winners of the latest EU Innovation fund call.
