The Nordex Group is restarting and expanding its local wind turbine production facility in West Branch after years of inactivity.
According to a release, the company will manufacture nacelles, or wind turbine housings, for both the current N163 turbine variant and the newly announced N169/5.X, a product specifically tailored to the U.S. market, at its production facility in West Branch.
The announcement comes after Nordex announced in May it received an order for 25 of its Delta 4000 series’ N149/5.X turbines, which will be installed atop 89-meter towers at “an undisclosed wind farm in California,” with deliveries scheduled for summer 2025.
The Gerrmany-based Nordex Group has been active in the U.S. since 2000 and purchased Accinoa Energy’s wind power business in 2015, including the Acciona wind turbine plant in West Branch, for $822 million in cash and stock.
According to The Gazette, the West Branch Acciona plant, which at one point employed 168 people, laid off all of the last of its assembly employees in March 2013. Despite the production shutdown, Nordex Group said it has maintained offices and a training academy in West Branch.
In addition to the nacelles, Nordex produces wind turbine hubs and drivetrains. This work currently employs more than 600 people in the region, and the expansion will initially create more than 100 new manufacturing jobs in West Branch, according to Nordex.
On top of the growing West Branch facility, Nordex has a main office in Chicago, as well as several service points throughout the region.
“We’re thrilled to re-engage and expand our production footprint in West Branch,” said Jackie Shay, vice president of people and culture of Division North America. “We’ve strategically maintained our facility here in anticipation of this growth, and it makes perfect sense to leverage the skilled workforce and strong community partnerships we’ve established. This expansion not only strengthens our North American supply chain, but also allows us to capitalize on the tremendous growth of wind energy in the U.S.”
“Following the suspension of nacelle production, we kept the Iowa manufacturing facility ready to resume operations,” said Alberto Fernandez, chief operations officer of the Nordex Group. “It will primarily produce components for projects in the US and Canada. Recruitment and training processes are scheduled to commence in the second half of 2024.”
“Manufacturing nacelles in the U.S. represents a significant next step in expanding local procurement, and our manufacturing presence in North America, which is a key element of the company’s growth strategy for the region,” added Nordex Group CEO José Luis Blanco.
Earlier this year, the company already announced its intention to focus increasingly on North America in order to benefit from expected growth in the U.S. and Canadian markets.
“I am thrilled to support Nordex’s expansion in West Branch,” said West Branch Mayor Roger Laughlin. “This growth will create high-quality jobs and increase economic opportunities for our community. The positive impact will extend beyond Nordex’s, indirectly bolstering other economic investments that will collectively improve the quality of life in our community.”
“Nordex’s recommitment and growth of manufacturing in West Branch is a testament to the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the entire region,” said Austin Korns, senior director of economic development for Greater Iowa City, Inc. “This is further proof we have the talented workforce and regional connectivity required for this type of high-level production. Additionally, we are excited to fuel green energy production in our region.”
The Nordex Group is one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers and offers wind turbines that enable long-term and economical power generation from wind energy in all geographical and climatic conditions.
Nordex has installed around 51 GW of wind power capacity in over 40 markets in its corporate history. The company currently has more than 10,000 employees, with factories in Germany, Spain, Brazil, India, the U.S. and Mexico.
