Siemens joins Samsung in Ontario green power deal

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Germany's Siemens AG will build wind turbines to supply as much as 600 megawatts of energy for the Canadian province of Ontario under an agreement reached with Samsung C&T, the companies said on Tuesday.

As part of the deal, Siemens will set up Ontario's first turbine blade factory. The establishment of the plant is a key milestone in the province's ambitious plan to create 50,000 jobs and become a clean energy hub in North America.

"Canada continues to be a major wind power market for Siemens," said Bill Smith, senior vice-president of energy for Siemens Canada.

Ontario unveiled a feed-in tariff program last September that pays the highest rates for green energy producers in North America. It hopes to kick-start a new industry to replace lost auto and other manufacturing jobs in the province.

In January, a consortium led by South Korea's Samsung group unveiled a C$7 billion ($6.8 billion) investment in Ontario that will include building four wind- and solar-power clusters capable of producing 2,500 megawatts of power by 2016.

Siemens will supply wind turbines for a portion of these developments.

Ontario's clean energy program demands that a percentage of goods and services are made in the province.

Siemens said the agreement with Samsung and its partner, Pattern Energy, will create 300 "green collar" jobs and an additional 600 construction and indirect service jobs. It will supply enough electricity to power 240,000 homes.