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wiredInUSA - March 2016
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A joint venture between Sumitomo
Corporation and Japan Steel Works Ltd
with Gerdau SA is to manufacture and
market forgings for wind power projects
in Brazil. The Gerdau-Summit venture is
expected to begin manufacturing in
2017.
The impetus for the venture is the Brazilian
government’s policy to increase the
nation’s percentage of total electric
power generated by wind energy systems
to 11 percent by 2024 (from six percent
in 2015.) This is intended to address the
anticipated demand for electricity in the
country.
To achieve that goal, the Brazilian
government is offering to subsidize new
wind power generation projects, and also
is promoting domestic manufacturing of
the related systems and components. The
Gerdau-Summit partners stated that their
project is consistent with the country’s
energy policy.
Gerdau is Brazil’s largest manufacturer
of steel long products, with capabilities
that include hydraulic forging for bars,
crankshafts, and other custom parts.
Sumitomo is the holding company
that includes Sumitomo Heavy
Industries, which among many other
activities is a designer and builder
of mechanical forging presses. The
larger portfolio includes about 900
companies worldwide in manufacturing,
construction, electronics, and other
major business sectors.
Japan Steel Works is a manufacturer of
large dimension castings and forgings
for industrial machinery, as well as power
generation systems, and is recognized
as one of the few manufacturers in the
world capable of forging nuclear reactor
vessel components.
Brazilian venture
INDEXThe Gerdau-Summit venture is expected to begin
manufacturing in 2017. Photograph courtesy of
Forgingmagazine.com