General Electric has pledged $50 million to establish a new assembly line in New York for its on-shore wind business, GE Vernova. The plant in Schenectady currently manufactures steam turbines and generators, but will be converted soon to assembling three components for GE Vernova’s 6.1-MW turbine.
Specifically, the plant will assemble the machine heads, hubs, and drive trains for its 6.1-158 onshore wind turbine, which is designed to convert low-to-medium speed wind into electrical energy. The turbine includes a two-piece, carbon-fiber blade design, which simplifies logistics for manufacturing and installation in “hard-to-reach sites.” It claims to have logged orders for nearly 10 GW of generating capacity for this turbine model.
According to GE, converting the Schenectady plant to producing wind-turbine components will mean approximately 200 new full-time positions will be established there.
Earlier this year GE committed $11 million in capital improvements for the Schenectady plant, for capacity expansion, maintenance, and new equipment and tooling.
GE credited the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act for strengthening the demand for renewable energy, and it added that the State of New York State is offering up to $2.5 million in employment subsidies.
GE Vernova is the business unit established to include General Electric’s Power, Renewable Energy, Digital and Energy Financial Services businesses, and scheduled to be spun off in 2024. The GE Renewable Energy business is responsible for developing and manufacturing onshore and offshore wind turbines.
Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, stated: “We’re proud to expand our American manufacturing footprint and workforce to continue building and innovating energy technology that is cleaner, by bringing wind turbine component assembly—and an estimated 200 new jobs—to New York.”
