GE Renewable Energy (Paris, France) announced on June 22 the production of 1,111^e wind turbine blade at its LM Wind Power wind turbine blade manufacturing site (Kolding, Denmark) in Turkey, four years after the start of production at the new plant in Bergama, Izmir. Dedicated to meeting the growing demand for wind power in the world, particularly in Turkey, Europe and Asia, these 1,111 blades are intended to capture the wind for a total capacity of approximately 1.58 gigawatt (GW).

Opened in July 2017, the Bergama facility – representing an investment of $ 80 million for Turkey – has become the fifteenth LM Wind Power plant and the first to open after the company became a renewable energy company of GE. Construction of the site extension began in late April 2019, to install the innovative two-piece carbon fiber vane production plant for GE’s Onshore Cypress turbine platform. Today, GE reports that the Bergama site has more than 800 employees, 26% of whom are women, one of LM Wind Power’s main sites for a diverse workforce.

“We are proud of what the team has accomplished on the site since 2017 and we are delighted to see the site continually improve and develop, even more since we implemented the Lean Mindset” said Emre Kahya, manager of the Bergama plant, LM Wind Power. “In our factory, lean is not just a tool, it’s a culture shaped by principles, it’s a journey. Therefore, lean management is part of our lives in a wide area, starting from our strategic directions and extending to our long-term plans and our day-to-day management. While focusing on results and behaviors, we improve problem solving and trash hunting skills.

The Bergama plant represents LM Wind Power’s track record of growth in emerging wind markets and its growing global presence, which strengthens the ability of GE Renewable Energy and LM Wind Power to serve all customers around the world. The Bergama plant also responds to the needs of the growing Turkish wind industry, supplying blades to regional wind farms and creating skilled jobs.