Feb 19 2011
Broadwind Energy conducts celebrations for the opening of its wind turbine drivetrain service center in the Abilene area of Texas.
In this facility, Broadwind combines engineering, clean assembly, disassembly and a 3 MW full load testing of wind turbine gearboxes that have 500 MW annual throughput capabilities, which is great news for Texas, which leads the nation with a total installed wind capacity of 10000MW. The new center would employ over 60 staff and thus inject life into the community. Broadwind has invested over $7 million into the expanded facility, which once had served as a Lockheed Manufacturing plant.
According to Denise Bode, the American Wind Energy Association’s CEO (AWEA), Broadwind Energy has developed the service center at exactly the right time as Texas has been installing wind power at a great speed. This is also one of the reasons why Broadwind is adding more staff in Texas. It would provide an integral service inside the vibrant wind energy value chain in America. This facility would also be one more example to illustrate the wind industry’s various economic benefits.
The CEO and President of Broadwind, Peter C. Duprey remarked that North America’s wind capital was Texas and the customers wanted to run their turbines to generate local clean energy in a very cost effective manner. He further mentioned that all the dedicated technicians who worked in this service center were attuned to utilize both gearing expertise and service capability for the benefit of the customers. Abilene Development CEO, Richard Burdine along with other dignitaries was present when Duprey conducted the ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of the 60,000 square foot center. Burdine revealed that they were happy to bring clean renewable energy jobs to Abilene and that the energy expertise offered by Broadwind was very important to the wind farm operators and developers in Abilene. Broadwind also offers maintenance services, blade services and operations to the wind energy sector.
Source: http://www.bwen.com