Vestas plans to invest $40 million in its two Colorado factories for building expansions, production equipment, and new blade moulds, which will provide the infrastructure needed to bring the V163-4.5 MW turbine to market and support the local manufacturing of subcomponents.
Vestas expects to hire between 800 and 1,000 local employees to support the manufacturing efforts at both the blades and nacelle factories. Hiring at the blades factory will begin this year and hiring for the nacelles factory is targeted for 2024.
To promote workforce development, Vestas offers an internship program aimed at developing manufacturing skill sets. We also work with local high schools to provide career development opportunities and hands-on manufacturing training for students as part of our apprenticeship program. As a result of this program, Vestas is preparing to hire 150 local high school graduates over the coming years.
In addition to significant job creation in the region for ongoing turbine production, the expansion of Vestas’s manufacturing facilities will create local construction jobs and bring increased opportunities for local service and component delivery suppliers. Last year alone, Vestas spent more than $465 million in Colorado across the local supply chain and donates $30,000 each year to the local community. We look forward to delivering additional economic impact to the state through these manufacturing investments.
"Wind energy is a key economic driver for local communities, and we look forward to bringing new clean energy jobs and economic development to Colorado. This $40 million direct investment in our onshore manufacturing footprint is a testament to our commitment to deploying the V163-4.5 MW turbine across North America and beyond to support the clean energy transition,” said Laura Beane, President of Vestas North America. “We applaud Colorado’s continued commitment to expanding clean energy as well as the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act which has helped kickstart a domestic supply chain.”
“I am so excited by Vestas' new investment in Colorado and the over 800 good new jobs being created in Weld and Adams Counties. Colorado is the best place to start and grow a business, and the clean energy sector is really taking off. I am so proud to congratulate Vestas on this exciting next step,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Democratic Party.
“We need to do everything we can to build out America’s renewable energy infrastructure, secure our supply chains, and accelerate our transition to a clean energy economy — that’s why I fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act and make the largest investment to confront climate change in history,” said US Senator Michael Bennet. “Now, we’re seeing the results. As a national leader on clean energy, Colorado is the perfect home for this $40 million investment from Vestas, which will create hundreds of jobs in Colorado and support the long-term growth of America's wind industry.”
The V163-4.5 MW turbine is optimized for low to medium wind speeds and designed for the U.S. market to maximize annual energy production and accelerate the clean energy transition. Built off our proven 4 MW platform and Vestas’s modular technology strategy, the product increases performance and suitability across various regions and climate segments and provides customized solutions for our customers to unlock new markets.
The product utilizes an established supply chain and existing infrastructure, including transportation, installation, and operations, to support the rapid deployment of wind energy to meet the growing demand.
Vestas's Windsor Blades factory is expected to begin manufacturing the V163-4.5 MW turbine this year with the Brighton Nacelles factory targeting production in 2024. Both factories will continue to support the production of our 2 MW platform and the Brighton Nacelles facility will continue producing our V150-4.5 MW turbine .
