Siemens Gamesa has celebrated the 500th nacelle to roll off the production line at its plant in Cuxhaven, Germany.
The nacelle will form part of the 8.4MW turbines that will be installed at Orsted’s 1.4GW Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm off the east coast of England.
Siemens Gamesa’s Cuxhaven factory was opened in 2017, with regular operations beginning in 2018.
It covers an area of around 55,000 square metres and a production hall up to 32 metres high, providing sufficient space to assemble the hub, generator and back-end components.
The first nacelle was manufactured at the plant in February 2018, and current capacity is around 250 nacelles per year.
Siemens Gamesa Cuxhaven plant manager Anton Bak said: “The 500th turbine from Cuxhaven is a reason for celebration for our employees and the entire region.
“We supply a growing world market with cutting-edge technology from Cuxhaven. I am very proud of what we have built here since 2017.
“The plant is the most modern of its kind in the world.
“Even in the difficult times during the Covid-19 pandemic, production continued without incident.
“We implemented hygiene and safety protocols very early on to great effect.”
Siemens Gamesa chief financial officer and interim offshore wind head Pierre Bauer said: “Reaching 500 produced nacelles is an exceptional milestone for any factory.
“We remain focused on safely developing new technologies and solutions that will enable our customers to use wind power more efficiently and cost-effectively, whether in existing or new markets, or in deeper sea regions with floating foundations.
“Being at the forefront of this global innovation drive to provide more renewable energy and simultaneously combat climate change excites and energises us.
“We’ll continue to count on Cuxhaven to deliver in the years to come.”