Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S has launched a new production line for blades designed for its V236-15.0 MW offshore wind turbines at its facility in Taranto, Italy.
The expansion is expected to create 1,300 direct jobs, increasing the factory's workforce from approximately 700 to over 1,600, with plans to reach 2,000 employees as production scales up. Vestas has operated in Taranto since 1998, leveraging the region's skilled workforce and established manufacturing expertise.
The initiative is supported by Italy's Recovery and Resilience Plan, with funding channeled through Invitalia, the National Agency for Investment Attraction and Enterprise Development. The project aligns with broader European Union goals to strengthen clean energy production and enhance industrial competitiveness.
Pierre Tardieu, chief policy officer at WindEurope, highlighted the strategic significance of the new line. “The production line will boost Europe's manufacturing capacity for powerful, modern offshore wind turbines and help strengthen Europe's wider energy security. It's a blueprint for what the EU's industrial strategy and its Clean Industrial Deal need to aim for: boosting clean tech manufacturing to deliver clean and competitive energy at scale,” he said during the inauguration.
Kenneth Kaser, Vestas' senior vice president of blades manufacturing, emphasized the company's commitment to the region. “This expansion showcases the positive impact we can drive for the energy transition and job creation when we see stable demand in the market,” he noted in a LinkedIn post.
