Gamesa to partner with Brazil's Bahia state, training centre planned

Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa (BME:GAM) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the Brazilian state of Bahia to promote renewable energy skills and innovation.

As part of the agreement, signed in Spain, the parties will work together to set up "Gamesa University" which will train more than 200 people a year to operate and maintain wind turbines, the company said in a statement. The training centre could be up and running as early as 2016.

To support the transfer of wind energy know-how to the region, the partnership calls for the creation of a wind turbine testing unit associated with a public university from Bahia and laboratories for certifying Gamesa equipment. It will also include agreements with universities and vocational training centres in the state.

Gamesa chairman Ignacio Martin said the alliance highlighted the company's strategic long-term commitment to Brazil and particularly the state of Bahia, one of the country's windiest regions.

Brazil is a major market for Gamesa, accounting for 22% of its total revenue from turbine sales last year. The company has a production facility in Bahia and has installed more than 1 GW in the country. It has firm orders for the installation of another 1.5 GW, according to the announcement.

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