Hitachi Energy Breaks Ground on US Power Transformer Plant with $457 Million Investment

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hitachi Energy has officially launched the expansion of its facility in South Boston, Virginia, with the construction of a new large-scale power transformer production facility.

The expansion is part of a previously announced $457 million (369.8 million Swiss francs) investment, expected to create approximately 825 additional jobs in Halifax County. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, Congressman John McGuire, Senator Mark Warner, and several state and local officials.

The new facility will manufacture large power transformers, which Hitachi considers critical to U.S. grid infrastructure. According to Hitachi, these transformers will support transmission, generation, data center, and industrial customers across the country. With this expansion, the workforce at Hitachi Energy's South Boston facility will nearly double; the site, which has been operating since 1968, currently employs around 850 people.

The company noted that the new project leverages nearly six decades of manufacturing experience in South Virginia and is a core component of its over $1 billion investment in U.S. grid equipment manufacturing, a significant portion of which will be directed to Virginia to strengthen the state's role in advancing national energy security. The project emphasizes workforce development, with plans to include on-site amenities such as fitness and recreation facilities, a cafeteria, a health clinic, and shared spaces.

At the ceremony, Spanberger stated that Hitachi Energy's $457 million investment and 825 new jobs will accelerate the region's economic trajectory while reinforcing Virginia's leadership in advanced manufacturing. She noted that by producing more critical large power transformers domestically, the initiative supports economic growth and ensures the power infrastructure needed for the future.

In April of this year, Hitachi Energy also secured a contract to provide automation equipment for the 900-megawatt Nordseecluster B offshore wind project in Germany, operated by RWE and Norges Bank Investment Management.