Mitsubishi to Produce Turbine Parts in US

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build a plant to produce gas turbine rotors near Savannah, Georgia.

The company plans to take advantage of rising demand for gas-fired power plants in the U.S. as coal plants are retired. At the same time, the company wants to "dodge the impact of the strong yen," according to reports from Tokyo.

Construction of the new facility will begin in the second quarter of 2012. The plant will have the capacity to produce 12 gas turbine combined-cycle power generation systems each year. No major parts will need to be imported from Japan.

Mitsubishi expects to start production in 2013.