“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç

The demise of wind turbine rotor blade manufacturer Aerpac has proved to be a unique expansion chance for German company NOI Rotortechnik. It has taken over almost the complete engineering team of the Dutch Aerpac in Almelo, allowing it to expand its research and development activities.

Moreover, it also beat bidders from the USA, Europe and Asia to take over the insolvent Aerpac UK, based in Kickaldy, Scotland, which had been forced to file for credit protection in February 2001 -- the first stage of bankruptcy proceedings -- after the collapse of its parent company in the Netherlands (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, March 2001).

Scotland branch

NOI says its aim is to retain the 100 jobs at Aerpac UK and to hold open the market for independent blade manufacturers. Since the takeover of Denmark's LM Glasfiber by a UK investment fund, NOI says it is now the only privately-owned and independent rotor blade manufacturer worldwide that is producing blades for multi-megawatt sized turbines.

NOI has founded a subsidiary named NOI Scotland to take over the Aerpac UK business, which will run as a more autonomous unit than under its previous parent. NOI has set up a Dutch subsidiary, NOI Aerproducts Development in Almelo, as a blade development company using former Aerpac staff, to complement the existing NOI Aerproducts production company.

The production side of Aerpac's business in the Netherlands was taken over by American Enron Wind two months ago. It says that NOI interests in Holland are not connected with its Almelo faciltiy, where blade production will continue, but using Enron mould tools and not Aerpac's, which now belong to NOI.