The final number could drop to about 500 permanent contracts by the end of 2014, an Areva spokeswoman told Windpower Offshore. Further, temporary work contracts will be allowed to expire, she added without giving details.
Speaking about the cuts, Niels Schnorrenberger, managing director of the Bremerhaven Economic Development Agency said he believed short-time working rather than redundancies would be a better option for workers at the Areva Wind Bremerhaven factory,
Schnorrenberger said he had been informed of Areva's meeting that day to inform employees of upcoming job cuts. Temporary employees are likely to be hit first, the Radio Bremen report said.
Areva is supplying Global Tech 1 and Borkum West 2 phase 1, but has as yet no follow-up orders after a number of projects, including MEG 1 planned by now insolvent wind developer Windreich, have been blown off course. Schnorrenberger said Areva is likely to land new contracts, including for the Baltic Sea, in the coming weeks.
Last month, it was revealed Areva planned to cut 160 temporary staff and employees with fixed-term contracts to February 2014 at its Bremerhaven works.
The Bremerhaven facility is due to form part of the joint venture between Areva and Gamesa. The two companies are planning to develop an 8MW turbine and cooperate in sales and production.
