GE Vernova is planning to downsize its offshore wind business with around 900 jobs at risk globally.
The US manufacturer, which is on course to record a $300m loss in the third quarter due to challenges in its offshore unit, has submitted a proposal to the GE Vernova European Works Council to change the company.
“The proposal reflects industry wide challenges for wind and aims to transform our Offshore Wind business into a smaller, leaner and more profitable business within GE Vernova,” a spokesperson said.
Sources said around 900 roles could be impacted if the proposals are implemented. Reports suggest 1700 people are employed by the company in offshore wind, including in factories in Saint-Nazaire and Cherbourg, in France. GE did not comment on workforce numbers.
“We continue to be impacted by inflation and global supply chain challenges and are experiencing lower-than-expected volume associated with delays to our key projects,” they added.
“Our focus with Offshore Wind is returning the business to profitability and integrating within GE Vernova’s Wind Segment. This announcement is consistent with our GE Vernova Wind businesses’ turnaround strategy.
“We are committed to support potentially impacted employees over the next several months and treat them with fairness. We will do everything we can to help everyone in their potential transition inside or outside GE.”
The company will continue to allocate resources to support existing projects, including quality control issues affecting blades, it is understood. Three Haliade-X blades have failed in recent months.
For projects under development, existing resources will continue fulfilling their contractual obligations through project completion in the coming years, said the source.
“Many of the employees supporting work on these sites are contractors outside the scope of these proposals,” they added.
“Executing these projects in a timely manner, keeping safety and quality at the forefront, is a priority for our wind leadership team.”