Swedish manufacturing company SKF has announced a $4.9 million investment to build a magnetic bearings plant in Tangier, Morocco.

The company announced its project in a press release on Monday, stressing that the plant is part of its approach to increase its “technical and manufacturing capabilities within magnetic bearings.”

According to the statement, “the new site will ramp up operations during the second quarter and once fully operational, will help meet the growing demand for magnetic bearings, which have a number of applications within turbomachinery and other high-speed applications, including hydrogen gas liquefaction and for oil-free industrial compressors.” 

The company’s president Thomas Frost commented on the new project, stressing the importance of magnetic bearings.

“Magnetic bearings have played a key role in traditional energy segments for many years,” he said, noting that this technology is now playing a key role in green industries.

“We need to make sure we can maintain our leading position in terms of technical development and customer service. Our new site in Morocco is an important step in this direction.”

Magnetic bearings are widely used in the industrial sectors, including in industrial machines like compressors, turbines, and generators.

Kaman Sensors, a company that specializes in eddy current technology, said that magnetic bearings are proven efficient as they are “quiet and do not require lubrication.”

The choice of Morocco’s Tangier as a host for the SKF plant reflects the reinforcement of the industrial zone, which is home to giant companies in different fields – including aeronautics and automotive sectors.