FORD SITE’S TURBINE BOOST
MARAND ANNOUNCES 20 NEW JOBS
THE former Ford factory in Geelong will remain a home to manufacturing when it is sold, with Marand Precision Engineering securing an agreement to continue operating on part of the site.
The revelation comes as Marand forms a partnership with international wind turbine leader Vestas to house a wind turbine assembly plant in the northern corner of the old Ford plant, creating about 20 jobs.
Ford Australia, which put the site on the market last year, yesterday confirmed it had provided Marand with a lease to support its work with Vestas and that it did not expect any sale to have an impact on their operations.
THE former Ford factory in Geelong will remain a home to manufacturing when it is sold, with Marand Precision Engineering securing an agreement to continue operating on part of the site.
The revelation comes as Marand forms a partnership with international wind turbine leader Vestas to house a wind turbine assembly plant in the northern corner of the old Ford plant, creating about 20 jobs.
Ford Australia, which put the site on the market last year, yesterday confirmed it had provided Marand with a lease to support its work with Vestas and that it did not expect any sale to have an impact on its operations.
Marand has increased its facility lease by 3000 sqm to accommodate the partnership with the plant to involve assembly of at least 100 turbine hub modules, weighing up to 30 tonnes a unit, and 50 drive train assemblies, each weighing 70 tonnes.
They will form part of the massive turbines at the $560 million Dundonell wind farm and the $525 million Berrybank wind farm.
Vestas last year secured the projects under the Victoria Renewable Energy Auction Scheme, announcing in October its plans to create a multi-layered Renewable Energy Hub, including the assembly plant, as part of its commitments.
Vestas’ Australian head, Peter Cowling, said the new assembly lines were expected to become operational in about three months.
“All these components have to be operating and exporting power to the grid by September next year,” Mr Cowling said.
Vestas is also set to add a logistics centre and warehouse in Geelong, but not at the Ford site.
Marand, which employs about 50 people at Geelong, will send 10 staff to Denmark to learn wind turbine assembly requirements.
Business development manager Alex Lyon said the company would backfill those staff before recruiting another 10 people,
Announcing the partnership yesterday, Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria was leading the way in developing renewable energy sources with its Renewable Energy Auction Scheme, Renewable Energy Targets and solar panel scheme.