26.09.2008 Cornerstone ceremony for rotor blade plant in Lanheses/Portugal Near Viana do Costelo in Northern Portugal, Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates and ENERCON Managing Director Aloys Wobben laid the cornerstone for a new rotor blade manufacturing plant. It will be built right next to the mechatronics facility in Lanheses where the production of E-modules and generators for E-82 turbines is due to start in early 2009. As part of the ceremony, a Portuguese flag was unfurled at the cornerstone. Defensor Moura, Mayor of Viana, and Francisco Laranjeira, Managing Director of Energias Renováveis de Portugal (ENERCONPOR), also signed a cooperation agreement for the acquisition of the plot of more than 85,000 square metres on which the rotor blade plant in Lanheses stands. About 500 people will work here and build about 600 E-82 rotor blades per year; production is scheduled to start in 2010. Mr. Wobben and Mr. Sócrates both emphasised the fact that this second rotor blade manufacturing plant – the first one is located in the harbour of Viana – represents an additional investment by ENERCON in its Portuguese operations. The activities so far fell under the obligations the German manufacturer had contracted in exchange for the right to build 1200 MW of wind energy in Portugal. The new plant in Lanheses goes beyond these obligations. José Sócrates underlined the excellent cooperation and added that if ENERCON wished to build a new plant every year, they could count on his support. "ENERCON decided to build this additional plant in Lanheses because the business environment for our operations in Northern Portugal is just perfect", said ENERCON Managing Director Aloys Wobben. This includes the skilled workforce as well as the convenient location close to the harbour – after all, the long-term goal is for 60% of production output to be exported. On top of that, ENERCON is confident that with the calls for tender for new wind power plants currently under way, Portugal itself will continue to provide a favourable environment for this renewable energy source for years to come. Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates and ENERCON Managing Director Aloys Wobben shake hands at the cornerstone ceremony for the new rotor blade plant in Lanheses.