The Nordex Group has been operating in the U.S. since 2000 and, as of Q3 of 2024, had commissioned 8,585 MW of wind power projects in North America, with 1,334 MW under construction. Last summer, the Nordex Group announced that it was reopening its nacelle manufacturing facility in West Branch, Iowa for 2025. The company took over that facility upon acquiring Acciona Windpower in April 2016.
In 2007, Acciona contracted with several companies to modify an existing 1,000 square-foot building so it could be used to assemble its nacelles. It even received over $3 million from the Iowa Power Fund in 2011 to install its first two AW-3000 wind turbines in North America at the Pioneer Grove project, less than 20 miles from the West Branch facility. However, by March 2013, Acciona had laid off 40 assembly employees at the location in the face of lower production volume.
Even though production did not resume, Nordex strategically kept offices and a training academy there after the acquisition in anticipation of this growth. “It makes perfect sense to leverage the skilled workforce and strong community partnerships we’ve established,” says Jackie Shay, Vice President, People & Culture of Division North America. The 27,000-square-foot North America Training Center, for example, which features a 45-foot climb tower, has continued to employ eight trainers providing programs and instruction to all of the company’s service technicians spanning the continent.
Photo Courtesy Nordex Group
Now, the manufacturing facility will be used to make nacelles for Nordex’s N163 turbine variant, with a rotor diameter of 163 meters and a power output of more than 5 MW, plus its new N169/5.X variant, with a rotor diameter of 169 meters and power output of 5.5 MW. Production is expected to start on the latest variant next year, but the ‘sister models’ are both part of the Delta4000 series and use the same technical concepts, such as the generator frame and main shaft and bearing. The Nordex Group predicts that as capacity ramps up, it will reach more than 2.5 GW per year, with the output used mainly for projects in the U.S. and Canada.
These projects come with many community benefits, including seeing their components made by local employees. As West Branch Mayor Roger Laughlin expressed in the press release, “This growth will create high-quality jobs and increase economic opportunities for our community. The positive impact will extend beyond Nordex’s, indirectly bolstering other economic investments that will collectively improve the quality of life in our community.”
Initially, this re-engagement with the West Branch community is expected to create more than 100 manufacturing jobs. Mayor Laughlin told The Gazette that the city is responding by preparing over 100 housing units for workers, with 70 already available.
Photo Courtesy Nordex Group
The company claims that making nacelles, drive trains, hubs, and other components locally will “meet local content requirements whilst also benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).” Notably, the Inflation Reduction Act includes an Advanced Manufacturing Production tax credit meant to spur domestic production and sale of renewable energy technology, including wind turbine components, as well as a Domestic Content Bonus to encourage domestic sourcing of materials and inputs.
Last year, the Nordex Group announced that it would place more emphasis on North America, where it predicted its market would grow. In November, the company indicated to Reuters that they “expect the fundamental growth drivers for onshore wind to remain intact over the long term as current developments, such as the boom in artificial intelligence, are expected to further increase demand for energy.”
The North American expansion will also enable the company to respond to an influx of upcoming orders from that region. For example, last May, the Nordex Group received an order for 25 of its N149/5.X turbines, which it will deliver to a wind farm in California this upcoming summer. Plus, at the beginning of this year, the company received an order for 36 of its N163/6.X turbines, which will be used to help power wind farms in Nova Scotia in spring 2026.
Photo Courtesy Nordex Group
As Manav Sharma, CEO of Division North America, said in the press release, “With these new orders, the Nordex Group has passed 1 GW of sales from North America in 2024. This 350% increase over the previous year demonstrates Nordex’s continued growth in the North American market. As we ramp up manufacturing at our factory in West Branch, Iowa in 2025, that success is well-poised to continue.”
