Mitusbishi's Arkansas wind turbine factory 'dependent on recovery'
US: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has said it is still considering building a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Arkansas, as its legal wrangle with GE Energy over disputed patents rumbles on.
MHI: Arkansas decision dependent on market
The factory, which is earmarked for Fort Smith, will cost $100m and will create 400 jobs. The facility will build the MHI 2.4MW turbines that are at the centre of the row with GE.
MHI has said it is delaying a final decision until it sees how the demand recovers in the second half of the financial year.
The Japanese company’s announcement that it is waiting for a pick up in the market follow Vestas' decision to cut 6% of its US workforce in response to falling North American demand.
Meanwhile MHI’s battle with GE looks set to drag on. This week GE filed a new lawsuit against the Japanese firm in the US federal court.
It follows a decision by the US International Trade Commission that MHI had not broken any patents in the development of the 2.4MW turbine. The ITC is set to outline its rationale behind the ruling later this month, while GE has said it is set to appeal.
