Apr 9 2013
The Ontario Clean Technology Alliance is attending Hannover MESSE, the world’s leading industrial technology showcase with 180,000-plus visitors, with news of a milestone order by Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. (Samsung) and Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern) for the supply and commissioning of 124 wind turbines for the South Kent Wind project.
All blades for the project will be manufactured by Siemens at the company’s wind turbine blade facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario, with production and hiring ramping up to capacity in order to fulfill the agreement. Towers for the project will be manufactured at CS Wind’s facility in Windsor using Ontario-made steel.
Combined, Siemens and CS Wind are expected to create up to 600 jobs in Ontario associated with South Kent Wind and subsequent projects. The Tillsonburg plant is the first production facility of its kind in Ontario. The investments by Siemens and CS Wind, totaling more than $100 million (CAD) demonstrate the progress of the Green Energy Investment Agreement between Samsung and the Ontario Government and underscore the significance of the Green Energy Act as part of the Province’s commitment to economic development and environmental sustainability.
“In 2009, the Green Energy Act (GEA) helped spark significant growth in the production of clean and renewable energy in Ontario. Since then, Ontario’s clean energy initiatives have been successful, creating over 20,000 jobs, and is on track to create 50,000 more jobs while attracting more than $27 billion in private-sector investment,” says Rob Nolan, 2013 Chair of the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance and Manager, Investment Attraction for the Regional Municipality of Durham. Nolan is part of the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance team that is at Hannover MESSE meeting with companies looking to invest in Ontario’s clean technology sector, and take advantage of an economic growth strategy, backed by a comprehensive series of legislative, regulatory and policy initiatives specifically designed to support the expansion of clean, green industries.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada is the ninth largest producer of wind energy in the world with current installed capacity at roughly 6,500 MW. Siemens holds a leading position in the Ontario market, and subsequent to the South Kent order, Ontario will join Washington, Texas and Iowa as territories in North America with more than 1,000 MW of Siemens installed capacity.