COPENHAGEN, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Danish wind turbine maker Vestas said on Friday it had carried out more than two thirds of planned job cuts at five plants in Denmark and Sweden and it is in early-stage talks to sell the plants.
Vestas said it had made 2,200 of 3,000 layoffs it announced in October due to overcapacity in Europe, and it would implement the rest by the end of June.
It said production had stopped at the four high-cost plants in Denmark and one Sweden and the company was exploring opportunities to sell them.
'We have some negotiations going on, but I don't have any information we can go public with,' Vestas spokesman Michael Holm said. 'They are all in remote areas so it might take some time to find buyers, so we have not set any deadline for this.'
No information was immediately available on the book value of the plants, but Holm said the assets include buildings and inventories, some of which can be moved to other Vestas plants.
The affected Danish units are a blade production plant in Nakskov and Vestas Towers activities in Rudkobing as well as Vestas Nacelles activities in Skagen and Viborg. The Swedish unit is in Lidkoping.
(Editing by Hans Peters) (Copenhagen newsroom, tel: +45 3396 9649, e-mail: copenhagen.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Vestas said it had made 2,200 of 3,000 layoffs it announced in October due to overcapacity in Europe, and it would implement the rest by the end of June.
It said production had stopped at the four high-cost plants in Denmark and one Sweden and the company was exploring opportunities to sell them.
'We have some negotiations going on, but I don't have any information we can go public with,' Vestas spokesman Michael Holm said. 'They are all in remote areas so it might take some time to find buyers, so we have not set any deadline for this.'
No information was immediately available on the book value of the plants, but Holm said the assets include buildings and inventories, some of which can be moved to other Vestas plants.
The affected Danish units are a blade production plant in Nakskov and Vestas Towers activities in Rudkobing as well as Vestas Nacelles activities in Skagen and Viborg. The Swedish unit is in Lidkoping.
(Editing by Hans Peters) (Copenhagen newsroom, tel: +45 3396 9649, e-mail: copenhagen.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.