Siemens Gamesa’s Indian Manufacturing Units Start Equipment Export

The ongoing trade tariff negotiations between China and the US is seen as an opportunity by Siemens Gamesa’s India manufacturing units to take part and meet the rising demand for wind energy equipment.

Markus Tacke, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Gamesa, responding to a query on the scope for Siemens Gamesa to increase its wind energy equipment manufacturing facilities in India, has confirmed the development. The company currently has two blade factories in Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), and Halol (Gujarat), a nacelle factory at Mamandur (Tamil Nadu) and an operations and maintenance centre in Red Hills (Tamil Nadu).

Tacke said the company recently started using the India manufacturing facilities to export wind energy generation equipment, in addition to meeting the domestic demand. In 2017, the going had got difficult for wind energy equipment manufacturers after the Centre struck down feed-in-tariffs and introduced reverse bids for awarding wind energy generation tenders. A sudden drop in margins, coupled with the drying up of orders, had put the domestic wind industry in a stiff. In these uncertain times, Siemens Gamesa has found overseas markets for its India products.

Commenting on the quantum of exports, Ramesh Kymal, the India head of Siemens Gamesa added that larger 145 motor produces 4.5 MW of power from a wind turbine with a 145 meter rotor diameter are also being exported and another major market has opened up in Latin America where mandatory regulation of solar and wind energy reportedly will ensure greater market activity. Earlier, at the REI Expo in Greater Noida in 2018, Kymal had highlighted how the Indian units of Siemens Gamesa were among the most productive and competitive, worldwide.

The wind solutions provider offers a broad product and service portfolio, addressing the diverse needs of customers worldwide. In total, Siemens Gamesa has more than 37 years of experience and a fleet availability of over 98%. The company’s experts currently maintain more than 900 different turbines from other manufacturers with a total capacity of more than 1 GW worldwide. According to the Global Wind Report 2018, the global wind energy market is expected to grow at an average of 2.7 percent each year from 2019 to 2023. Total wind energy installations are expected to reach 58.7 GW in 2023, from 51.3 GW in 2018.