WA Government investing in wind energy manufacturing opportunities

The WA Government has announced $2 million has been awarded to a Bunbury company under a partnership program to advance wind energy manufacturing in the state.

RCR Advanced Technologies, part of RCR Mining Technologies, is the second recipient under the $8 million Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-Investment Program, delivered in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

The government says the $5.3 million project is set to strengthen Western Australia's capability to produce wind energy componentry locally and support the development of clean energy projects, facilitating Western Australia's broader energy transition. The Bunbury-based company will receive $2,047,900 in co‍-‍investment funding to pilot the production of innovative transition flanges for wind turbines.

Transition flanges connect the turbine tower to the foundation and are currently manufactured overseas. RCR is in talks with turbine manufacturers to build the flanges in WA, to reduce shipping logistics and deliver supply chain reliability.

RCR will modernise and expand its workshop capability, purchase state-of-the-art machinery and upgrade quality control processes to meet the standards of large wind energy developers. It will also use the investments to upskill its workforce to be capable of undertaking future refurbishment of wind turbine components such as gearboxes and drive shafts.

RCR joins Australian Winders as the second recipient under the program, which has so far committed more than $2.5 million in co‍-‍investment funding to support WA's growing wind energy manufacturing sector.

“RCR Advanced Technologies is harnessing its strong track record in manufacturing by expanding its capabilities and creating new jobs to deliver critical components for the growing wind energy sector,” said Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber‍-‍Jade Sanderson. “Through the Wind Energy Manufacturing Co‍-‍Investment Program, we're enabling local companies to scale up, invest in advanced equipment, and secure their place in global clean energy supply chains.”

“This will have a significant impact in the region we operate in and offers opportunities for us, our workforce, and the region to adapt,” said RCR Advanced Technologies Manager Neville Kelly. “RCR is in a prime position to upskill local workers and provide employment related to modern energy sources, while leveraging our mining sector heritage in engineering projects to meet burgeoning demand from the onshore wind energy supply chain in Western Australia.”

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