Goldwind fires up new Brazil turbine factory that is its first outside China

Chinese wind turbine maker Goldwind has reached a major milestone in its global expansion as it opens its first international factory in Brazil.

Goldwind started operations on Tuesday at its new factory in Camacari, a city in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia.

An opening ceremony was attended by Brazil’s minister of mines and energy, Alexandre Silveira, who said Goldwind’s decision to open in Camacari underlines the strong wind potential of Brazil’s northeast.

The Brazilian mines and energy ministry said the factory can churn out 150 units per year. These will primarily serve the Brazil market, but the ministry referenced ambitions from Goldwind to use its new base to also export to other South American countries.

Bahia’s governor Jerônimo Rodrigues and the Chinese consul general in Rio de Janeiro, Tian Min, also attended the opening ceremony.

Goldwind’s sales in Brazil have so far depended on much smaller, older models of wind turbine than those the company produces for the Chinese market.

That is now set to change thanks to its new factory, a former GE Renewable Energy plant that it purchased earlier this year – teeing up Goldwind to compete up with the local market leader, Denmark’s Vestas.

Chinese wind turbine makers generally have been on a global expansion drive, fuelled by a need to find new markets amid red hot competition at home that has driven prices down to rock bottom, hurting profitability.

Goldwind’s new factory will cement its position as the leader in Chinese OEMs so far tentative Americas expansion.

Despite seasonal pressure from hydropower, the dominant source of electricity in Brazil, a record 4.8GW of onshore wind turbines were installed in the country last year.