Mitsubishi announces $490 million expansion in Pooler

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC.COM) — Mitsubishi announced a new expansion of its power plant in Pooler on Friday. The $490 million investment is expected to add more than 220 new jobs in Chatham County.

The plant is the first full gas turbine plant outside Japan. It opened in 2010, and the expansion is intended to help meet what the company says is growing demand.

Savannah Economic Development Authority President and CEO Trip Tollison said the company reviewed multiple sites before choosing the Pooler location.

“They went and interviewed and reviewed a lot of sites, and thankfully, we won the project. And, you know, it’s no secret, but Savannah, the region’s on fire. We’re, like, the fastest-growing part of the state right now,” Tollison said.

Expansion details

The investment will add a 450,000-square-foot expansion to help build parts for gas turbines to meet growing demand in the U.S.

Savannah Machinery Works Vice President of Operations Brandon Bodie said the facility’s work force and its location near port and rail access were the defining factors in the decision.

“Building on that investment, building on the know-how and the credibility that our teams have established here at this facility... to support at scale the amount of gas turbines and power generation equipment that’s needed for service and manufacturing of the electricity supply and demand that’s going on around the country and the world,” Bodie said.

The expansion also plans to add machining capacity and new technology to speed up production.

Georgia Power released the following statement on Mitsubishi’s expansion:

We applaud Mitsubishi Power for making this significant reinvestment in Coastal Georgia. This is the latest example of how a growing Georgia benefits our communities, and we’re proud that the next generation of turbines and equipment used in our power plants is being produced right here in Georgia, supporting high-quality jobs for our communities. Having manufacturing partners like Mitsubishi in Georgia provides great benefit for our customers as we build the power grid our state needs for the future.

New jobs

The expansion comes with the promise of more than 220 new jobs.

“I just want to make sure that they understand that we’re committed to being an employer here in this region that supports the growth of the workforce, that supports the local economy, that gets ingrained in the community. I mean, this is like our family,” Bodie said.

Mitsubishi hopes to have the expansion up and running by early 2029.

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