Danish manufacturer Vestas has temporarily stopped production at its factories in India in response to a three-week government enforced lockdown across the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A company spokesman told reNEWS that operations are currently suspended at its blade factory in Ahmedabad and the hub and nacelle plant in Chennai.
“We are currently working with both state and federal governments to ensure we can resume safe production and operations when the lockdown is over,” he said.
The spokesman added that Vestas fully respects the Indian government’s increased precautions, under which the company’s service business continues to operate.
On 26 March, Siemens Gamesa said it had also closed manufacturing plants in the country giving the same reason as Vestas.
Meanwhile, Vestas has won a turbine order totalling 29MW in Vietnam for its fourth intertidal project in the country.
The contract, with Sigma Engineering Joint Stock Company, is for seven V150-4.2MW machines for the Ben Tre V1-3 wind farm in the Ba Tri district of Ben Tre province.
The deal covers supply and supervision of the installation in shallow waters close to shore to optimise energy production and exploit the full potential of the Mekong Delta region’s good wind conditions.
Each turbine will be equipped with a full-scale converter, enhancing the wind park’s compliance with grid requirements, Vestas said.
Delivery is scheduled in the first quarter of 2021 and installation is expected to commence from the second quarter of the same year.
The order also includes a 20-year active output management 4000 service agreement.
Vestas Asia Pacific sales director Tommaso Rovatti Studihrad said: “This fourth intertidal win reinforces Vestas’ leadership in developing wind energy solutions for this specific market segment in Vietnam and the 20-year service contract showcases Vestas’ capabilities to service challenging intertidal projects over the project lifetime, thus de-risking the project for its investors and lenders.”
Sigma Engineering Joint Stock Company chairman Nguyen Quang Ngoc said: “Sigma is highly appreciative of the friendly and professional working style of Vestas.
“As the EPC contractor for the phase one of Ben Tre V1-3 wind farm project, I strongly believe that the project will be successfully installed and operating on schedule with Vestas’ team of experienced experts.
“Moreover, it will create a premise for cooperation between Sigma and Vestas in the upcoming phase two of the Ben Tre V1-3 wind farm and many other wind energy projects in the near future in Vietnam.”