Schaeffler expands its production capacities for wind power in China

The global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler is ramping up its business activities in the Chinese wind power sector and is putting a new production hall with an area of 22,000 square meters into operation at its Nanjing location in Jiangsu Province, eastern China. The focus in Nanjing – a location operated by the Industrial division – is on the production of large-size bearings with a diameter of more than 800 millimeters, which are primarily used in wind turbines, gearboxes, and in heavy industry. The production of 12,500 units per year is planned. By opening the new hall, Schaeffler is expanding its production capacities at the location, which now has a total area of 260,000 square meters. As a result, Nanjing is now the largest production location for wind power bearings within the Schaeffler Group. The location employs more than 2,000 people.

“The expansion of our production capacities in Nanjing strengthens our network of plants in Asia”, says Andreas Schick, Chief Operating Officer of Schaeffler AG. “We will achieve a significant increase in efficiency using the advanced production technologies developed by Schaeffler. The essential factors here are our own special machinery and the implementation of the entire value-added chain in the region. This is sustainability in practice. Our global collaboration demonstrates Schaeffler’s industrialization expertise once again.”

Innovative and sustainable solutions for wind power applications play a central role for Schaeffler as part of the Roadmap 2025, which defines the strategic orientation of the Schaeffler Group for the next five years. Against the background of ambitious climate goals and targeted funding, the People’s Republic of China is also developing and implementing new energy projects in the wind power sector. With its rolling bearing, linear technology, and direct drive solutions, Schaeffler offers comprehensive technological and application engineering expertise for complete systems from one source that are precisely matched to one another.

“Wind power has strategic importance and continues to have major growth potential for Schaeffler”, says Dr. Stefan Spindler, CEO Industrial of Schaeffler AG. “We are supporting our partners during the energy revolution by providing them with innovative products on their path to a sustainable future. With our reliable and high-performance large-size bearings for wind power applications, we are pioneering motion to advance how the world moves. Schaeffler is already represented in every second to third wind turbine worldwide and is therefore the leading global supplier for wind power bearings.”

The Greater China region has played an increasingly important role in Schaeffler’s operating performance since its market entry in 1995. Despite the challenging market environment, the region recorded a currency-adjusted sales growth of 8.7 percent in 2020. The wind power sector cluster of the Industrial division made a significant contribution to this result.