Spanish firm Gamesa was the top foreign turbine supplier to China in 2007, ranking third overall behind China's Goldwind and Sinovel. Gamesa installed 560 MW to take its cumulative tally in the country to 1044 MW. The only company to have installed more megawatts in China by end 2007 was Goldwind, with just under 1500 MW. Orders received this year have increased Gamesa's pipeline of committed projects in the country to around 1500 MW. The last addition was a EUR200 million agreement announced in July to supply 344 MW to China's leading developer, China Longyuan Electric Power Group Corporation, a longstanding Gamesa client.
The company has four production plants in China, all located in Tianjin. Here Gamesa produces nacelles, gearboxes, generators and blades for its 850 kW machine, with an annual capacity of 700 MW. Investment in China amounts to nearly EUR40 million and has created 1000 jobs, it says. Chinese sales represented 15% of Gamesa's total 2007 sales, up from 11% in 2006. Of the 8000 MW Gamesa had committed to customers at the end of 2007, China accounted for 1120 MW, or 14% of the total.
