Mitsubishi Electric Power Products (MEPP), along with its parent company Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, has announced an investment of $86m in the US to enhance switchgear production and power electronics.
The move is in response to the growing demand for transmission and distribution grid products as the US shifts towards renewable energy sources and aims to achieve decarbonisation targets.
The investment by MEPP is part of a wider strategy to boost energy systems production capabilities globally.
MEPP will build a 160,000ft² advanced switchgear factory in Western Pennsylvania, the company’s first manufacturing facility in more than ten years.
Initially, the factory will produce vacuum and gas circuit breakers, with plans to focus on vacuum circuit breakers as operations scale up.
The new facility will create 200 full-time jobs once it reaches full capacity.
The investment will be used to enhance and upgrade MEPP’s current facilities in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, for power electronics and test laboratories.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offered its support for MEPP's expansion by providing a funding proposal that includes a $4m redevelopment assistance capital programme grant and a $2.75m Pennsylvania First grant, provided by the Department of Community and Economic Development.
MEPP president and CEO Tricia Breeger stated: “At MEPPI, we lead with innovation. By investing in a state-of-the-art switchgear factory, we will better serve our customers, and we will significantly advance the production of critical components that strengthen both distribution and transmission grids while driving new technologies forward in support of the nation’s decarbonisation initiatives.
“Our switchgear and power electronics solutions are essential for meeting the growing demand for electricity, from powering homes and businesses to supporting the rapid expansion of data centres.”
Advanced software and automation technologies will be implemented at both the new facility and existing operations to optimise efficiency and productivity.
In April 2024, Mitsubishi Electric agreed to transfer the Nagoya Works distribution transformer business to Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems.
