Electric motor plant rising in Dalian

Construction of Japanese electric motor manufacturer Nidec Corp's new plant began on Wednesday in Jinpu New Area of Dalian, Liaoning province. The company is investing 100 billion yen ($931 million).

The factory is expected to begin operating next year and could produce as many as 3.6 million motors a year for new-energy vehicles.

In 2019, the company said it would invest 50 billion yen in the new plant, but in February, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, it announced it would double that.

According to Igarashi Kazutsugu, general manager of Nidec (Dalian) Limited, the company is confident about the future development of new-energy vehicles and has faith in the local government.

Tan Zuojun, Party chief of the Dalian Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the city will try its best to provide services related to the construction of the new plant, push to achieve design capacity as soon as possible and set a new benchmark for China-Japan cooperation.

Chen Xiangqun, vice-governor of Liaoning province, said the new plant is an innovative move by Dalian and Jinpu New Area to deepen cooperation with Japan and further expand opening-up. It is also a strategic move for the Japanese power industry to seize the opportunity and actively integrate with Dalian.

The plant will play a significant role in promoting the economic development of the city and the province, as well as construction of the New Japanese Industrial Park in Jinpu New Area, Chen said.

Nidec Corp's new plant is the first leading project to be introduced in the park. It has brought along 34 supporting enterprises.

The New Japanese Industrial Park has a total planned area of 28 square kilometers and will focus on the development of electronic information, machinery processing, auto parts, high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials and other industries.