3 minute read
Moving on Relocations and expansions
NEWS
MOVINGON
Relocations and expansions across Europe
Volkswagen builds new plant in south-central China
Construction work has begun on the new Volkswagen vehicle plant in Changsha in the province of Hunan, south-central China. The factory is being built in cooperation with the Chinese joint venture ShanghaiVolkswagen (SVW). “We are expanding our capacity in China to four million vehicles per year by 2018 in order to meet demand from our Chinese customers,” says Prof. Dr Jochem Heizmann, member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for China and president and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, at the contract signing ceremony and groundbreaking in Changsha.
The new plant in Changsha is scheduled for completion end of 2015 and will manufacture approx. 300,000 vehicles per year. A complete production facility with press shop, body shop, paint shop and final assembly is being built. Shanghai-Volkswagen currently operates vehicle plants in Shanghai and Nanjing as well as Yizheng in the province of Jiangsu. Further factories are being built in Ningbo and in Urumqi under the ‘Go West’ strategy. Visit: www.volkswagen.com
Eagle Ottawa operations in Hungary
Eagle Ottawa, the world’s largest automotive leather supplier, is expanding its manufacturing facility at Szolnok in Hungary to meet increasing customer demand. The facility will increase in size by 60%. Established in 2001 as a state-of-the-art facility to provide premium leather to automotive manufacturers in Europe, Eagle Ottawa Szolnok will be adding cutting edge roll coating technology to its current equipment.
The facility finishes and cuts automotive leather and offers secondary operations such as custom leather perforation, lamination and embroidery.
“Eagle Ottawa’s vision, ëto be the most respected leather supplier in the worldí, is directly reflected in the high levels of quality and service provided to customers,” said Bryn Kahrl general manager Eagle Ottawa Szolnok. Visit: www.eagleottowa.com
€40m port expansion at Cherbourg
The Ports of Normandy Authority (PNA) has begun construction at Cherbourg (north-western France) in order to expand part of the harbour area and its capacity: this is in connection with offshore wind-power and other marine-renewable-energy (MRE) developments, in the Channel. The quay-expansion project, at a total cost of €40 million, will include the construction of a public wharf, together with the redirection of the railway lines and roadways serving the port of Cherbourg.
Undertaken by building specialist Soletanche Bachy, the development project began in February 2013, in line with commitments to prepare for the installation of Alstom’s blade-manufacturing plant and tower-preparation site in the port area, as well as the arrival of EMF’s assembly hub at Cherbourg. Visit: www.pna-ports.fr
Cargotec has invested approximately €35 million in the construction of its new Technology and Competence Centre in Tampere, Finland. In the Centre, Cargotec’s Kalmar business area focuses on the development of energy-efficient, safe and intelligent machinery and automation solutions.
“The functioning of ports is simulated in the laboratory and testing range, based on real data provided by our customers. In this respect, the Centre is unique in the world,” stated Mika Vehviläinen, president and CEO of Cargotec.
The Technology and Competence Centre is one of the most energyefficient office buildings in Finland. In March, the Centre was awarded the international BREEAM environmental certificate. Visit: www.cargotec.com
Construction begins for Wartsila’s new JV production facilities in China
Wartsila Yuchai Engine Co. Ltd, the joint venture owned 50/50 by Wartsila and Yuchai Marine Power Co. Ltd., has begun construction of its new production facilities with a groundbreaking ceremony in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province of China. The company will manufacture medium-speed marine engines to serve the increasingly dominant Chinese shipbuilding industry. The products to be manufactured by the joint venture company will include the Wartsila 20, Wartsila 26 and Wartsila 32 series of medium speed engines. Production is planned to start in 2014.
“Today marks an important step towards our goal to serve our customers in the Chinese shipbuilding market in the best possible way. The combination of Wartsila’s industry leading technology and Yuchai’s position as the leading high speed engine manufacturer in China, will provide strong competence in manufacturing, sourcing and market access,” said Bjorn Rosengren, president & CEO of Wartsila. Visit: www.wartsila.com
