REpower Systems AG has founded a joint venture with rotor blade manufacturer Abeking & Rasmussen Rotec (A&R) for the production of in-house offshore rotor blades for wind energy turbines.

The establishment of the joint venture was approved by the REpower supervisory board in May and is to produce offshore rotor blades developed by REpower. REpower and A&R Rotec have stakes of 51% and 49% respectively in the company. Close to the manufacturing hall for the offshore turbine REpower 5M in Bremerhaven which is currently being built, an in-house production site will be established for the manufacturing of the rotor blades. The blade production is scheduled to start in midyear 2008.