Zhejiang Tianma Bearing Co. Ltd. (China; website) announced its new, large bearing operation has already received orders for wing power turbine bearings.

Dongfang Turbine Works (Dongfang Steam Turbine Works, China; website) awarded the contract to Tianma, covering bearings for 1.5MW turbines. Dongfang's support is important because it is China's third-largest power turbine manufacturer. The company's turbines are exported throughout Asia and eastern Europe.

Dongfang Turbine's relatively new wind power turbine business is a joint venture / technology transfer agreement with Germany's REpower Co.

Founded in 1987, Tianma manufactures TMB brand bearings. The new large-bearing operations are being completed at a cost of approximately 180 million yuan (USD $24 million). Large precision bearing production capacity will be in the range of 120,000 sets each year when the facilities are fully operational.

In addition to wind power applications, Tianma's large bearing markets include iron and steel production, mining, agriculture, oil and gas production, and heavy industry.

Each turbine requires four bearing sets, totaling approximately 152,000 yuan ($20,000). Overall, the contract with Dongfang Turbine is worth approximately 168 million yuan ($22.3 million).

Zhejiang Tianma disclosed that, due to a continuing global shortage, wind turbine bearings are currently commanding high prices and corresponding gross margins over 50%.

In China, the 1.5MW wind power generating station has become a sweet spot in the fast-growing wind power market. That is the generating station output most strongly recommended by China's central government as both a "green" solution and for its potential to ease the pressure on China's increasingly strained power grid.