LM Glasfiber building third wind blade factory in China

Danish wind blade supplier LM Glasfiber has announced plans to build a third plant in China.

Glasfiber, which builds the longest fiberglass wind turbine blades in the world and claims to be the blade-market leader, plans to supply Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology with 1,100 megawatts of blades for the company's flagship 1.5 MW model-70 wind turbines.

The new deal, said to represent a significant increase in production, extends an agreement with Goldwind signed at the beginning of 2007.

The new factory is planned for Qin Huang Dao in North East China. It is intended to become LM Glasfiber's largest facility in China, with a first phase to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2009.

LM Glasfiber claims eight of the top 10 largest wind turbine customers as customers, and has been building wind turbine blades since 1978.

In January 2009, the company announced the layoff of 150 people and the closing of a plant in Little Rock, Ark.

Goldwind's primary business is researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing large-sized wind turbines. The company also builds and operates medium-sized wind power plants.

China has the largest wind turbine manufacturing industry in the world, with leading producers including Goldwind, Sinovel Wind, Dongfang, Windey and Sewind (see China drives global market, supply for wind). Domestic manufacturing capacity is about 8 GW and is expected to reach 12 GW by 2010.