German wind turbine maker Enercon is set to establish a new rotor blade production facility in Türkiye's western Izmir province with an investment of 50 million euros ($58.5 million), according to a report on Wednesday.
The investment comes as part of the company's international growth strategy, with the facility to be established in Izmir's Bergama district, a report by Anadolu Agency (AA) said.
Accordingly, Enercon is moving the production of rotor blades for its new generation wind turbine model "E-175 EP5 E2" to Türkiye, the report suggested.
With this investment, around 700 direct jobs are expected to be created at the facility, while indirect employment will also be supported through supplier companies in the region.
The new plant in Izmir is planned to have the capacity to produce 150 rotor blade sets per year, with three sets at the current phase. The factory is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year.
Production is primarily aimed at the Turkish market; however, the facility is also expected to supply projects in Eastern and Southern Europe in the future.
Speaking at the press launch within the scope of the 15th Turkish Wind Energy Congress (TÜREK), ENERCON COO and board member Heiko Juritz stated that the local content requirements for land-based wind energy tenders in Türkiye would be met with the new production plant in Bergama.
Juritz said that these supports would enhance competitiveness in the projects and added, "The factory will also make a significant contribution to the renewable energy ecosystem in Türkiye."
"(Enercon) is one of the pioneering companies that has invested in Türkiye for many years. We are determined to continue our localization strategy in Türkiye, where we have been operating for more than 30 years," he said.
"With our new plant in Bergama, where we have invested 50 million euros, we will provide our customers with a strong, sustainable, and locally based production infrastructure. We aim to increase employment to over 1,000 people."
Juritz also emphasized that Türkiye continues to be one of Enercon's most important strategic markets.
"The fact that even the components of our latest and most advanced technology, the E-175 EP5 E2, will be produced in Türkiye is a strong indication of our confidence in Türkiye and our long-term perspective," he noted.
Enercon's new flagship model, the E-175 EP5 E2, stands out as one of Europe’s most efficient land-based wind turbines with an installed capacity of 7 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 175 meters.
The model, which plays a critical role in the company's global growth strategy, is attracting significant interest in Türkiye as well as in international markets. Recently, Enercon signed new supply agreements with its Turkish customers covering over 370 megawatts of capacity.
The total installed capacity established by Enercon in the country has reached 4 gigawatts (GW) to date.