Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Towers Inc., announced Tuesday the grand opening of the world's largest wind tower manufacturing plant. The new Pueblo, Colorado facility features nearly 13 million square feet of space and eight miles of on-site railway tracks for the transport of materials and finished tower components.
US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined a host of regional and local Colorado dignitaries, as well as President of Vestas Towers A/S Knud Bjarne Hansen and President of Vestas Americas Martha Wyrsch, in making Tuesday's announcement during a ribbon cutting ceremony. Participants at the grand opening ceremony recognized a factory that currently employs more than 400 workers and is capable, at peak production, of producing 1,090 towers per year.
"The steel industry has and will continue to play a large role in Pueblo's identity, but as seen here today, the renewable energy industry is carving its own path into the city and state's history," said Secretary Salazar. Vestas Towers America, Inc. has the ability to process more than 200,000 tons of steel per year.
Hansen added that "we have deliberately located our factories in a central region in the US- including our towers, nacelles and blades plants - because regional centralization allows Vestas to build and ship locally in any direction needed in North America, and that translated to a direct competitive advantage for all of our stakeholders."
"We've hired people in a number of functions related to tower building, including steel fabricators, finishers, welders, assemblers and maintenance personnel," said Anthony J. Knopp, Vice President, Vestas Towers America, Inc.