ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 61 Industry News Industry News Hitachi Energy has recently revealed investments of over $1.5 billion to ramp up its global transformer manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the growing demand and support the long-term plans and electrification efforts. The investments will gradually expand the company’s global transformer capacity by 2027 and are in addition to the $3 billion already announced to progress on the electrification of the energy system driven by the energy transition. "The demand for transformers and electrical equipment has grown at an unprecedented scale, and we are investing to address our customers' mid- and long-term needs. We are developing our global footprint and capacity, and progressing in digitalisation and technology to deliver even more sustainable and reliable solutions," said Bruno Melles, Managing Director of the Transformers Business at Hitachi Energy, during the company's flagship customer event, Energy & Transformers Days in Rome, Italy. Today, the company is also announcing an investment of around $180 million in a new state of-the-art transformer factory in the Vaasa region, Finland. This top-notch 30,000-square-meter campus will be a testament to Hitachi Energy's dedication to innovation, quality, and environmental stewardship. The investments complement Hitachi Energy's broader growth Hitachi Energy to invest additional $1.5 billion to ramp up global transformer production by 2027 ർCapacity expansion will increase speed to market to meet accelerating global demand, address long-term customer investments and create over 4,000 jobs. ർInvestments span across Europe, the Americas, and Asia leveraging existing global footprint. ർAround $180 million in a new state-of-the-art transformer factory in Finland, a key location for clean technology development for renewables and industrial electrification. efforts, which include the recently announced larger than $30 million expansion in Bad Honnef, Germany. Leveraging the company’s global footprint, additional investments will follow in Europe, the Americas, and Asia to meet the growing demand for power and distribution transformers. Hitachi Energy’s transformer facility expansions include the ongoing project in South Boston, Virginia, US, and other recently completed projects at Jefferson City, Missouri, US, and Dos Quebradas, Colombia. In addition, the company has inaugurated new cutting-edge factories in Chongqing, China, and Hanoi, Vietnam, together with a new transformer service center in Welshpool, Australia. “Our global investments, including the new transformer campus in Finland, underline our commitment to co-create with our utility and industry customers and partners the path to accelerate the energy transition. By strategically leveraging our global footprint, technology, and the expertise of our teams, we are not only poised to meet the global demand for sustainable energy solutions but also to drive the innovation necessary for a carbon-neutral future,” Melles added. Transformers play a key role across the power value chain, enabling efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. They are a key component for applications such as integrating renewables, grid interconnections, powering data centers and electrifying transportation, facilitating the decarbonisation of energy systems. Hitachi Energy is the world's largest transformer manufacturer in terms of installed base, portfolio range, manufacturing capacity, and market coverage, with over 60 transformer factories and service centres across the world. High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power transformer testing area in one of Hitachi Energy's facilities in Europe.
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