OREANDA-NEWS. Toshiba Corporation announced that Toshiba Infrastructure South America Ltd (TIC-SA), a Brazilian Toshiba Group company, has started production of power transformers in a plant built in Betim, Minas Gerais state.

Many South American countries are upgrading their social infrastructure and planning to promote development of smart grids. This is particularly true in Brazil, host to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Under its Growth Acceleration Program, the Brazilian government plans to invest in the areas of logistics, energy and social development. Against this background of economic and population growth, demand for electricity in South America is expected to rise and the market for power transformer is forecast to expand from about US\\$210.0 billion in 2012 to USD 250.0 billion in 2015.

TIC-SA currently undertakes manufacture and sale of power transformers at its plant in Contagem, Minas Gerais. That facility has an annual capacity equivalent to amount 15GVA, and its output goes to the Brazilian market and the Americas. Construction of the new plant to meet growing demand began in May 2011, some 25km west of Contagem city. The site is 146,000m2 and the building has a floor area of 22,710m2. The investment in plant and equipment to this point is approximately 6.0 billion yen.

TIC-SA has put in place a production framework covering both plants. The Contagem site will produce small-capacity transformers, while the Betim site will manufacture medium- to large-capacity transformers. This expanded production base will support TIC-SA in proactively promoting its social infrastructure businesses throughout the region.