Siemens to invest Rs 500 cr for wind turbine mfg facility in guj

State government earmarks 100 acres land at Dahej

Expediting its plans to set up a wind turbine manufacturing unit in Gujarat, Siemens India has applied for 100 acre land in DAHEJ with the state government. At an investment of Rs 500 crore, the company is all set to manufacture high-end technology wind turbines with a total capacity to generate 200 MW a year.

"Siemens India has applied for a 100 acre land in Dahej for a wind turbine manufacturing plant with the state government. While the land is likely to be allotted soon, the company is also in the process of getting its board of directors' approval," said a senior government official.

The upcoming unit at DAHEJ is part of Siemens India's plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore in the country for its wind turbine manufacturing venture and for expanding its existing production capacity.

Siemens is aiming to roll turbines having a generation capacity of over 1.5 Mw each, sources indicated.

When tried to contact, an official of Siemens declined to comment.

Apart from Gujarat, the company has also identified sites in the state of Tamil Nadu and is in talks with the state government there.

To be operational by 2012, the unit is likely to produce turbines with a capacity of 200 MW per annum to begin with.

The investment from Siemens India in Gujarat is also part of the state government's efforts to rope in mega infrastructure projects on the 38 per cent Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) share that falls in the state, prominent regions among which is DAHEJ. Moreover, DAHEJ is also being developed as a 'Smart City' by the DMIC Development Corporation Ltd. (DMICDC), on the lines of Kita Kyusyu and Yokohoma of Japan.

Meanwhile, Siemens has also hinted at exploring infrastructure sectors like airport and ports. The company is also looking at increasing its headcount from 17,000 to 25,000 by 2012.