Marand partners with Vestas for Geelong wind turbine facility

The partnership will allow Vestas to bring its wind turbine assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, thereby supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector. Located at the former Ford manufacturing site on the Princes Highway in Geelong, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub, a multi-disciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and Victoria’s New Energy Technologies strategy.

The facility will be responsible for making 4MW drivetrains and hubs and component testing for the Dundonnell Wind Farm and Berrybank Wind Farm projects, both of which were successful in the first auction under the Victorian Renewable Energy Target. The facility will also support future wind projects in Australia.

“Vestas is committed to building new skills in the local workforce in Geelong, and with our wind turbine component assembly and testing capability, we are helping build on Geelong’s background as a heavy manufacturing hub and use that to establish a renewable energy hub”, said Clive Turton, Vestas Asia Pacific President. “In Marand, we are partnering with an experienced manufacturing service provider with outstanding capabilities and skilled personnel. Their experience in automotive, aerospace, defence and rail industries meets all of our requirements around quality and technical expertise.”

Under the agreement, Marand will supply facility space, personnel and equipment to meet Vestas’ manufacturing requirements. Vestas will provide testing equipment, assembly line layout, production training and supervision, and transportation of all components to the assembly area.

“We look forward to this strategic partnership with Vestas,” said Marand CEO Rohan Stocker. “Marand has decades of experience across a variety of industries, where our manufacturing expertise and business systems truly set us apart from our competitors. We look forward to adding value to the renewable industry, and this partnership will greatly help us expand our capability in this growing field. We are particularly proud to be able to carry out this work in the former Ford Geelong facility.”

In addition to the wind turbine assembly facility, the Hub also includes four other initiatives:

• Establishing the Western Victorian Service Support Centre to service the growing Vestas turbine fleet in Western Victoria.
• Entering into a multi-year partnership with Federation University’s Ballarat Renewable Training Centre to deliver training and employment opportunities for wind turbine technicians.
• Establishing the Vestas Australian Main Component Logistics Centre in Geelong, a specialist facility for the largest turbine spare parts.
• Forming a partnership with Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus to research the next generation carbon fibre to use in making wind turbine blades longer, stronger and more productive.