Siemens reaches milestone in Canadian wind power market

OAKVILLE, ON, Feb. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Siemens Canada was one of the leading companies in the Canadian wind market in 2014, contributing to more than half of the 1.9 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity installed*.  That momentum is reinforced today with the completion of the 1,000^th blade at Siemens' wind turbine blade manufacturing facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario. The production of 1,000 blades generates enough electricity to power more than 230,000 Ontario homes per year.

This milestone further demonstrates the progress of the Green Energy Investment Agreement (GEIA) between Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. (Samsung), and the Ontario Government. The agreement was implemented with the intention of creating green manufacturing jobs in the province, in exchange for the government's investment in new transmission capacity.  This lends to the success of the Green Energy Act as well, a provincial policy which underscores Ontario's commitment to economic growth and environmental sustainability.

All Siemens wind turbine blades in Canada are manufactured at the company's blade facility in Tillsonburg. Situated on 40 acres of land, the 253,000-square-foot facility manufactures 49-metre blades for the SWT-2.3-101 geared platform and 55-metre blades for the SWT-3.2-113 direct-drive platform. Blades produced in Tillsonburg are installed in Canadian wind farms and abroad.

As the largest turbine supplier in  the Ontario market last year*, Tillsonburg's first blade was one of 372 used in the commissioning of the South Kent Wind project in Chatham-Kent, one of Canada's largest wind farms and part of the 270-megawatt (MW) agreement between Siemens, Samsung and Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Development). Siemens has also supplied, delivered and commissioned turbines for several other Samsung and Pattern Development wind projects in Ontario including the recently completed 150-MW Grand Renewable Wind project in the County of Haldimand, the 270-MW K2 Wind project currently under construction in Goderich, and Armow Wind project, currently under construction in the Township of  Kincardine.

The Canadian wind energy market is growing at a rapid rate and is now the ninth largest in the world, with a current installed capacity of approximately 9,700-MW. Siemens Canada is    making a significant contribution to this growth, holding a leading position in the Ontario    market with over 1,600-MW of installed capacity in the province.

QUOTES

• "We greatly value our partner's confidence in our products and services and are pleased to continue to provide Ontario with jobs, economic growth and viable, affordable and sustainable wind energy. We're very proud and excited to be celebrating the completion of our 1000^th blade today and our recent 10-GW installation milestone in the Americas reaffirms our commitment to renewable energy, the competitiveness of wind power, and continuous innovation."
  Jacob Andersen, Head of Wind Power Renewables, Siemens Canada

• "Partnering with Siemens has allowed us to use wind turbine blades made by Ontarians at our projects across southwestern Ontario, which has led to the creation of thousands of manufacturing, construction and wind facility operations jobs in the Province."
  Mike Garland, Chief Executive Officer, Pattern Development

• "Samsung believes that renewable energy is a very important part of eliminating our dependence on dirty coal production and protecting the air that we breathe. We are very pleased that our investments have created over 1,000 total manufacturing jobs in communities across Ontario."
  Steve Cho, Vice President, Samsung C&T Corporation

About Siemens Canada
For more than 100 years the innovative ideas from Siemens have helped make Canada a better place. From the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, more than 4,500 employees in Canada work together to provide answers that last in the fields of electrification, automation and digitalization. Since it was federally chartered in 1912, Siemens has stood for innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. Sales for Siemens Canada in fiscal 2014 (ended September 30), were $2.7 billion CAD. The company has 39 offices and 12 manufacturing/assembly facilities across Canada. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca.

About Siemens AG
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 357,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

SOURCE Siemens Canada Limited

Ann Adair, VP Communications & Government Affairs, Siemens Canada, Phone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected], Follow us: www.twitter.com/siemensincanada