Siemens invests in gas turbine plant

In addition to expanding the capacity of its gas turbine manufacturing plant in the city of Berlin in Germany, Siemens AG last week also opened a production facility in Berlin’s Moabit district. The company invested €42 million (US$58.29 million) in the expansion, with one-thirds channeled into the new production facility, which is expected to have a capacity of 14,000 turbine blades and vanes per year. Gas turbines are an important part of the company’s environmental portfolio, making up close to a quarter of its total revenue. According to company officials, they expect that by 2011, a total of 200 jobs will have been created with 60 being in the new blade production hall. The addition of the production hall enlarged the facility by 3,100 square meters, they added, touting it was constructed in accordance with the so-called “green building” process, a process which is said to be virtually carbon-neutral. (May 28, 2009)