GE’s first wind generator factory in Vietnam inaugurated

The new factory located in northern Haiphong port city will manufacture wind turbine components to help support the global demand for General Electrics’s (GE) wind turbine technology.

At present, GE will exports all the factory’s products to international market, said John Krenicki, GE vice chairman and GE Energy president and CEO.

“Vietnam is an ideal place for GE to invest and expand our manufacturing capability because it has a skilled work force and a bright future for its energy sector,” said Krenicki.

“Expanding our global manufacturing footprint is a strategic growth driver that will help us to respond quicker to our customers’ energy needs. With demand for electricity, fuel, and water continuing to rise around the world, we believe that building in Vietnam is a great investment,” he added.

GE announced that the Vietnam plant inauguration continued a series of strategic actions in GE’s energy business over the past several weeks aimed at growing its overall presence in the global energy space.

On October 6, 2010, the firm also announced the acquisition of Dresser Inc., a global energy infrastructure technology and service provider. On October 1 and September 27 2010, GE announced its purchase of Calnetix Power Solutions and a joint venture to expand its wind power business in China, respectively.

Following the first phase of plant operations in Haiphong, GE may expand its manufacturing scope to support the company’s full range of power generation equipment, Krenicki said.

“The opening of the Haiphong plant is a major milestone in the history of GE in Vietnam. This world-class facility was made operational within one year, which demonstrates GE’s participation and commitment to the country’s ongoing industrialization process,” said Nguyen My Lan, president of GE Vietnam.

GE was among the very first American companies to open in Vietnam in 1993 even before the US embargo was lifted. The fast-track construction of the Haiphong plant began in May 2009 and initial shipments of wind turbine-generator systems began one year later in May, this year.

The plant is now fully operational with over 250 workers and has exported more than 200 units of generator systems to date.