Wind turbine manufacturing giant Vestas has announced plans to cease production at three of its factories in Europe, currently employing around 650 people. The manufacturing facilities in Lauchhammer, Germany, Viveiro, Spain and Esbjerg, Denmark will be closed as part of the company’s aim to meet the requirements of its changing product portfolio.
Vestas’ factory in Lauchhammer, which currently employs approximately 460 people, should end production by the end of this year. The factory in Viveiro employs some 115 people. Vestas also expects to close the plant by the end of 2021. The plant in Ejsberg, with roughly 75 workers, should cease production in the first half of 2022. Vestas said it will explore opportunities to relocate workers to other manufacturing facilities it has in the three countries.
“While Vestas will sustain a strong footprint in Europe across manufacturing and service activities, it’s always hard to make decisions that negatively affect our good, hardworking colleagues at Vestas,” said executive vice president and COO Tommy Rahbek Nielsen.
Where required by local law, Vestas will now initiate legal proceedings and negotiations with workers’ representatives and the local work councils for all affected employees. As of August 2021, Vestas employs more than 29,000 globally across onshore and offshore activities.
“I would like to emphasise that we are deeply committed to explore opportunities to relocate our colleagues, who unfortunately will be impacted by the cease of production at our factories in Lauchhammer, Viveiro and Esbjerg,” added Nielsen.
