Governor Brian P. Kemp announced on Friday, October 23, that Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. is investing $490 million to expand its existing footprint in Georgia, in a project the company and the state say will create more than 220 new jobs in Chatham County.

Source: Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp

Yaani, $490 million is about $0.49 billion — roughly half a billion dollars going into one factory site in coastal Georgia.

The expansion is at Savannah Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Power's gas turbine plant near Savannah. The company said the project, backed by a $490 million investment from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., will add 450,000 square feet to the existing facility and add machining capacity, advanced manufacturing technology and improved material flow.

Source: Business Wire — Mitsubishi Power announcement

"When we met with Mitsubishi Power and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo, we came away with a deeper understanding of how the company could continue growing in Georgia," Governor Kemp said. "We are excited that the Savannah Machinery Works is expanding to turn those possibilities into reality."

"Meeting the growing demand for power will require investment in facilities, in our supply chain, and in our workforce — which is what we're building here at Savannah Machinery Works," said Bill Newsom, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas, adding that the expansion strengthens American manufacturing and its ability to serve electricity growth across the Americas.

Savannah Machinery Works was Mitsubishi Power's first complete gas turbine manufacturing facility outside Japan. The company broke ground in September 2009, completed the 430,000 square-foot plant in September 2010, and shipped its first U.S.-produced gas turbine from Savannah in October 2012; in June 2023 the plant marked its 50th advanced-class gas turbine.

Trip Tollison, President and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, called the expansion "a huge win for Chatham County" and one of the largest investments to date by Mitsubishi Power Americas, saying it will create meaningful new job opportunities across manufacturing, engineering, quality, maintenance, logistics and support functions.