SOUTH SURREY — Where's the new business opportunities in renewable energy in B.C.? The answer to that, my friend, is blowing in the wind. Literally.
Endurance Wind Power welcomed the public Thursday afternoon to their brand new 40,000-square-foot wind turbine manufacturing plant in Grandview Heights, Surrey. With growing sales in the UK, US, Italy and Canada, Endurance has installed 750 wind turbines around the world to date.
“This year alone, we’ve created 80 new jobs at Endurance, 40 of them right here in the Lower Mainland," said Glenn Johnson, CEO of Endurance. "These are new, clean energy jobs that help grow the cleantech manufacturing base in B.C. and increase the adoption of distributed energy from wind power."
Johnson added the company is creating valuable jobs here in Surrey by driving the growth of cleantech manufacturing for export around the world.
"I remember seven years ago when Glenn (Johnson) and his company of six employees in Grandview Heights began and… to see this company grow as significantly as it has is really quite remarkable," said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, who was on hand with the rest of municipal council for a tour of the facility.
From left: Endurance Wind Power CEO Glenn Johnson, Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, Neil Huff, Executive Director, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre, and Clark Roberts, Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of International Trade, cut the ribbon to officially open the turbine manufacturing plant. (Photo: ADRIAN MACNAIR)
Watts said the City of Surrey now boasts 10 per cent of the cleantech companies in the province. During her speech she also announced that a Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre will be established in Surrey in conjunction with Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The centre will directly support 18 cleantech startups across the province and aims to have 30 companies in their accelerated program by the end of the year.
"The support that Foresight will bring to the local community will be significant to ensure that Surrey's position grows as a centre for clean technology and advancement in the province," said Watts.
Endurance Wind Power’s new facility manufactures the company’s best-selling E3120 wind turbine. At 50 kW, the turbine generates enough clean energy to power a dairy farm, hospital or school. Endurance has shipped over 600 of this model to global markets such as Japan, Spain, Italy, and Australia.
With the low cost of electricity in B.C., Endurance has not yet installed any turbines in the province.