LM Wind Power will open a new wind turbine blade factory dedicated to the offshore market in Cherbourg, Normandy, France. The factory will be built on a site developed by Ports Normands Associés (PNA), a port authority that includes the Normandy region and the Manche Department. Ground breaking will begin in March 2017 and production is expected to commence from June 2018.
Ultimately, the company expects to employ over 550 people, with as many as 2,000 further indirect jobs resulting in the local area. The facility will have the capability to produce LM’s 88.4 meters blade, the LM 88.4 P. The company expects the operation will grow to a capacity between 1.2 and 2.0GW. The plant will serve all customers in the global offshore wind blades market, but the decision by LM Wind Power to start construction has been greatly facilitated by the concurrent signing of a supply agreement with GE for the blades powering its Haliade offshore wind turbine.
