Siemens Taps Cuxhaven for Wind Power Plant

Siemens to invest 200 million euros in new plant; CEO says decision represents commitment to Germany.

Siemens (SIEMENS.NS) has chosen the German coastal town of Cuxhaven as the location for a new wind power components plant, creating up to 1,000 new jobs in its home country where it is axing more than a thousand elsewhere at its gas turbines unit.

The German industrial group will invest 200 million euros ($217 million) in the factory, its biggest German manufacturing facility in years. The plant will build nacelles, the box-like component that sits on top of the tower and contains the main technical parts of the turbine.

Siemens is the global leader in offshore wind power, where it competes with Denmark's Vestas and General Electric of the United States.

The market is gaining momentum as costs fall, making offshore developments an increasingly viable alternative to onshore wind farms, which are unpopular with local communities.

"The decision to build a new production facility in Cuxhaven represents a clear commitment to Germany as a business location," said Siemens Chief Executive Joe Kaeser.

Germany is the world's second-biggest offshore wind market after Britain.

Reporting by Georgina Prodhan