Nissan opens Rs 9,000cr plant in Brazil

    Nissan’s new plant will churn out 200,000 units and the same number of engines every year.

    Published On Apr 17, 2014 07:26:00 PM

    3,629 Views

    Nissan opens Rs 9,000cr plant in Brazil

    Nissan Plant.

    Nissan has inaugurated its USD 1.5 billion (Rs 9,040 crore) plant in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a part of its effort to achieve five percent market share by 2016. This plant marks the largest automotive investment by a manufacturer in the country. Nissan plans to become the leading Japanese automotive brand in Brazil.

    The Rio de Janero plant will produce Nissan’s ‘Platform V’ vehicles and engines starting with March or Micra hatchback, and the 1.6-litre 16V flexfuel engine. The new Nissan plant already employs about 1,500 people and is expected to increase its employee count to around 2,000 people.

    Nissan’s new facility houses the complete production process – from stamping sheet metal into parts to assembling and road testing. The new facility will produce an estimated 200,000 vehicles and 200,000 engines annually.

    Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, speaking at a plant opening, said: “The Nissan Industrial Complex of Resende is fundamental to achieving our growth objectives in Brazil, which is the fourth largest automotive market in the world and a key part for our development in Latin America. Our goal is to achieve 5 percent market share and to lead Japanese automakers in quality and customer service in Brazil by 2016."

    Jose Luis Valls, chairman, Nissan Latin America, said: "Nissan's expansion of our manufacturing capacity throughout the Americas over the last two years, with new plants opened in the United States (2012), México (2013) and now in Brazil (2014) underscores the untapped opportunities that we foresee throughout the hemisphere and, specifically, in Brazil.”

    “Nissan began operations in Brazil in 2000, and the opening of the Resende complex consolidates its presence, launching a new phase for growth in the country. The new site in Resende will help Nissan to deliver more quality, and more technological and up to date products," said François Dossa, president of Nissan Brazil.

    All the employees at Nissan Resende have been put through special training, and more than 300 have trained outside Brazil for three months at Nissan’s plants in Japan, Mexico and the United States and England. The vehicle quality control team at Resende plant was put through six months of special training in Japan and Mexico. In the last one year, Nissan has invested more than USD 4 million (Rs 24 crore) in technical training for the Resende workers.

    Tech shows the way

    The Nissan Production Way, the most modern Japanese processes and equipment is already in practice at the new plant, complemented by Brazilian employees. The technology will also ensure protection to the surrounding environment.

    Eighty-eight robots carry out tasks that demand more precision and are capable of incurring safety or ergonomic risks. In most areas, Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV)– small self-driven robots – move small carts of parts, eliminating the need for transportation belts with combustion engines or platforms activated by chains, making the operation safer and quieter.

    The vehicle painting process follows the modern and sustainable ‘3Wet’ water-based paint system with base and varnish done soon after primer application, making the process shorter and reducing energy consumption. The robots use cartridges that reduce the waste of paint and solvents, reducing the emission of volatile organic components (VOCs) and making the operation more environmentally friendly.

    Nissan says a green ‘belt’ will be planted to surround the entire complex, which will help reduce both emissions and noise. The belt will reflect the region's natural habitat and occupy an area of more than 12 acres.

    To accommodate additional growth, infrastructure for a supplier park has been set up adjacent to the complex. The supplier park already has six auto parts suppliers, which have moved to the region to support Nissan. They include Tachi-S (seats), Yorozu (suspension), Kinugawa (rubber seals), Calsonic Kansei (cockpit components), Mitsui Steel (plates) and Sanoh (brakes and fuels pipes). The Japanese carmaker aims to achieve nearly 80 percent local content in Resende by 2016. 

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