Wind turbine maker Gamesa India is preparing for a new growth trajectory with a greenfield manufacturing unit as the wind power market in India sees recovery after a slowdown phase.

Gamesa is in the process of establishing an integrated manufacturing facility at Iffco Kissan SEZ, located in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of about ₹300 crore. Phase I of the project will see setting up of a blade production unit for the G114-2.0 MW wind turbine model, which will have a rotor diameter of 114 metres or 374 feet, and designed to increase energy output from low- and medium-wind sites.

The blade plant is expected to be commissioned in August. The facility will be equipped to manufacture 300 MW per annum in the initial period. It is expected to employ over 1,000 people, while its ancillary units will create more jobs.

With the launch of the blade production this year, the company will be completing €100 million investment programme in India that it announced in 2014.

“While we already have facilities in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, we were looking for a place south of Vindhyas to tap the emerging opportunity in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. We chose Andhra Pradesh due to the promise of 24/7 power supply as ours is a continuous process industry that requires uninterrupted power,” said Ramesh Kymal Chairman & Managing Director, Gamesa India, Indian arm of €3.5 billion Gamesa Group of Spain.

Meanwhile, Gamesa has emerged as the number one player in the Indian wind power market by achieving a rare milestone of commissioning over 1,000 MW in a year.

It commissioned 1,003 MW during 2015-16, taking the total installation base to 3,000 MW in India, while garnering a market share of about 29 per cent.

For the current fiscal, the company has an order book of 750 MW. However, it is bullish on order outlook due to favourable market conditions that include government thrust on clean energy capacity addition, softening of interest rate, less competitive intensity, among others.