Wind energy plant producer Nordex (Hamburg / Germany; www.nordex-online.de) has awarded a contract for the manufacture of 58.5 m-long rotor blades for its “N 117/2400" and “/3000" models to US-based TPI Composites (Scottsdale, Arizona; www.tpicomposites.com). The blades will be produced by TPI Kompozit Kanat Sanayi ve Ticaret (Izmir / Turkey), TPI’s joint venture with Alke Construction Industry and Trade (Istanbul / Turkey; www.alke.com.tr) – see Plasteurope.com of 28.03.2012.

Nordex produces about one-third of the rotor blades on order at its plant in Rostock / Germany. The company also has a supply agreement with SGL Rotec (Lemwerder / Germany), a subsidiary of carbon fibre producer SGL Group (Wiesbaden / Germany; www.sglcarbon.com). However, the capacities are not enough to meet demand.

TPI is due to begin serial production in February 2014, providing some relief to the current shortage. Nordex did not specify how many rotor blades are to be delivered from Izmir each year. However, a company spokesman said TPI Kompozit initially will use two moulds, which translates to about 200-300 blades annually. Nordex stated there is strong demand from Scandinavia and the UK, adding that Turkey is also a “booming market”.

TPI is in the midst of raising its tool manufacture capacities in Taicang, China, in the province of Jiangsu. The Chinese plant is to deliver rotor blade moulds to customers across the globe. The company’s US plant in Warren, Rhode Island, meanwhile, caters to the needs of the North American market.