GE Building Chinese Wind-Energy Factory, R&D Center

General Electric’s GE Renewable Energy subsidiary will open a new factory to manufacture offshore wind turbines as part of project to develop a 900-MW offshore wind "cluster" in Jieyang, Guangdong province. GE Renewable Energy further plans to establish a new operation and development center in the city of Guangzhou. "Our new factory in Jieyang and the Operation & Development Center in Guangzhou will put us in a better position to meet our customer’s demands in this fast-growing industry, while contributing to meet China’s growing offshore wind ambitions," according to John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy The cost of the new development was not revealed. Site construction will begin later this year for completion in 2021, and will start assembly production in the second half of 2021 Another GE executive, Rachel Duan, president & CEO, Global Growth Markets, said GE’s investments in Guangdong "will bring together advanced manufacturing, operations and development, services, and digital applications, together with relevant suppliers, to form an offshore wind business ecosystem that closely and effectively serves the needs of customers in China and the rest of Asia, while pushing forward China’s clean energy ambitions.”