ABB plans to hire 90 more people and invest a further €3M in Estonia as production at its Jüri motors and generators plant is set to rise by 25% in 2027.
The plans were outlined by ABB Baltic business manager Jukka Patrikainen and motors and generators business-unit manager Argo Aavik in an interview with Tööstusuudised. The company has invested more than €17M in Estonia over the past two years and is planning a further €3M this year, according to the report.
Patrikainen said Estonia’s economy and industry were recovering slowly and that the biggest downturn had passed, although the company was not seeing rapid growth across the market. ABB nevertheless expects its own motors and generators production volumes to increase by 25% in 2027, with capacity already being booked ahead.
A larger role for Jüri
ABB’s latest expansion builds on the growing role of its Jüri technology campus and 60MW motor capability. In a June release, the company said its 2025 order volume in Estonia reached nearly €85M, while the motors and generators unit increased production by almost a tenth and created 80 jobs.
The expansion of the Jüri motors and generators factory means it can now manufacture components for motors of up to 60MW. ABB said the equipment is used in applications including large mining machines, ships and pumping stations around the world, and described the Jüri facility as the largest and most capable of its kind in Europe.
The site’s output is supported by a wind-generator competence and service centre serving customers across Europe. ABB said the centre doubled its business volume last year and expanded into new European markets. Its generator service model is built around repairs and refurbishment: the company says replacements can be supplied in roughly five to 10 business days, compared with the typical 22–25 weeks for a new generator.
From large motors to wind generators
The service centre’s faster turnaround is aimed at reducing downtime for wind-park operators. ABB estimates that avoiding a 22–25-week wait for a new generator can prevent losses of up to €1.2M per 3.6MW turbine, based on the production time and electricity-price assumptions set out in its technical announcement.
The same announcement said the new stator production line at Jüri supports units of up to 60MW, compared with a previous 20MW limit. Stators are core components of electrical machines, and the larger production capability allows the Estonian plant to support equipment used in demanding industrial and marine applications.
Engineering and delivery capability
ABB’s Estonian operations extend beyond the motors and generators factory. The frequency-converter unit marked its 20th year in 2025 and has grown into a product-development centre with more than 80 engineers. ABB said the team works with a testing centre it describes as unique in the world and recently launched a frequency-converter cabinet designed and manufactured entirely in Estonia.
The Jüri campus also includes a new electric-motor warehouse supporting local sales, with same-day delivery available when required. Alongside manufacturing, the site provides sales, maintenance and business services for ABB group companies, while the wind-generator centre connects Estonian engineering and refurbishment work to customers elsewhere in Europe.
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