Oakville, ON: Siemens Canada announced February 5 that it had manufactured the 1000th wind turbine blade at its plant in Tillsonburg, Ontario.
The milestone further demonstrates the progress of the Green Energy Investment Agreement (GEIA) between Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. and the Ontario government, the company notes. The agreement was implemented with the intention of creating green manufacturing jobs in the province, in exchange for the government’s investment in new transmission capacity. This lends to the success of the Green Energy Act as well, a provincial policy that underscores Ontario’s commitment to economic growth and environmental sustainability.
All Siemens wind turbine blades in Canada are manufactured at the company’s blade facility in Tillsonburg. Situated on 40 acres of land, the 253,000-square-foot facility manufactures 49-metre blades for the SWT-2.3-101 geared platform and 55-metre blades for the SWT-3.2-113 direct-drive platform. Blades produced in Tillsonburg are installed in Canadian wind farms and abroad.
Siemens has supplied, delivered and commissioned turbines for several Samsung and Pattern Development wind projects in Ontario including the South Kent Wind project in Chatham-Kent, where its first blade was delivered, the recently completed 150-MW Grand Renewable Wind project in the County of Haldimand, the 270-MW K2 Wind project currently under construction in Goderich, and Armow Wind project, currently under construction in the Township of Kincardine.
The Canadian wind energy market is growing at a rapid rate and is now the ninth largest in the world, with a current installed capacity of approximately 9,700-MW.