China-based Goldwind to build wind turbine blade factory in Turkey

In partnership with Dere Construction, Chinese company Goldwind is planning to set up a wind turbine blade manufacturing unit in Turkey. It would employ more than 500 people.

Soon after receiving a few orders from Turkey, Goldwind, one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers, signed a deal for a blade factory in the country. Its partner is Dere Construction, based in Izmir, which is rumored to be the preferred area for the facility, as it is the main hub for the sector.

The collaboration is aimed at localizing wind turbine blade production, ensuring a stable supply and aligning with the requirements of the YEKA program, said the Chinese company’s Localization and Supply Chain Manager in Turkey Alper Kalaycı. Namely, to win state support under the auction scheme, developers must ensure that all components have domestic content rates of at least 51%.

The minimum for the towers and blades was 65% in the last call.

Partners targeting launch in 2027

Goldwind Turkey Enerji’s General Manager Nick Yu signed the cooperation agreement with Dere Construction’s President Bora Turan.

The wind turbine blade factory site will span 20 hectares, of which the main building will cover three hectares, according to Kalaycı, who was appointed last month. Goldwind’s ambition is to begin operations in 2027, expecting to hire more than  500 people, he revealed.

In the manager’s words, the initiative directly supports Turkey’s 2035 goals. The government is targeting a combined solar and wind power capacity of 120 GW.

Turkey wants a total of 120 GW in wind and solar power capacity in 2035 and it has high requirements for domestic content

Goldwind is advancing the localization of the supply chain, with comprehensive plans covering core components such as steel towers, generators and blades, Kalaycı pointed out. The company, headquartered in Beijing, currently has an 88% workforce localization rate in the country, he added.

Since entering the market in 2016, operational wind power plants with its turbines reached 400 MW in overall capacity. There is another 420 MW under construction. Goldwind runs service centers in Afyon, Balıkesir and Yozgat.

Goldwind to supply turbines to Tatmetal, Fiba Renewables

Flat steel producer and renewables developer Tatmetal recently ordered the Chinese manufacturer’s turbines for its projects Gulumusagi in Malatya, of 36 MW, and Arıkonak in Adiyaman, of 24 MW.

The deal follows their cooperation in the construction of the Şule wind power plant of 66 MW in Isparta. The new deal is for GW165-6.0MW turbines.

Just before that, a month ago, Fiba Renewables ordered machines of the same model. They would be deployed in Sadilli (36 MW) and Pazarköy (6 MW) in Çanakkale and in Uluborlu (24 MW) in Isparta in the Mediterranean region. Goldwind also agreed to perform operations and maintenance.

Dongfang Electric planning wind turbine factory

China-based Dongfang Electric plans to build a wind turbine production facility in Turkey, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said in late September.

There are 150 manufacturers of wind turbine components and accompanying gear in the country, covering 65% of the technology. Data from early this year showed there were seven production facilities for towers, four plants were making blades, and another four were manufacturing generators and gearboxes.