Wind turbine plant doubles in size in big boost for Hull

BRITAIN’S biggest wind turbine factory in Hull will double in size following a £186m upgrade.

The investment by Siemens in alexandra Dock, Hull, means the facility can make next-generation turbines, as well as blades more than 330 feet long.

These will be used in huge wind farms currently under construction in the North Sea and at other sites abroad.

It is a major boost to the UK’S green power industry and will create about 200 jobs, while supporting a further 1,000 existing roles.

manufacturer GRI renewable Industries yesterday also announced plans for a £78m wind turbine tower factory in Hull, taking the total of new investments to £264m. GRI’S factory is expected to create another 260 jobs.

The companies are both set to receive grant funding from a £160m Government pot to support offshore wind, although details of how much each will get have yet to be finalised. The deals come as Government is driving a nationwide push to transition to greener sources of energy and make Britain a world leader in the field. It is hoped they will also support the Government’s levelling up agenda.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said yesterday’s announcement was part of the UK’S ‘green industrial revolution’.

alexandra Dock is already the UK’S biggest wind turbine factory and opened in 2016.

under the plans, the factory will more than double in size, from almost 120,000 sq ft to nearly 260,000sqft. Construction work for its Hull factory’s expansion is expected to begin within weeks and finish in 2023.

last month SeAH Wind and Smulders Projects UK announced separate investments in Hull and Newcastle, respectively. SeAH will build a £117m factory to build foundations known as ‘monopiles’ for wind turbines, while Smulders has announced a £70m upgrade of their site that makes ‘transition’ pieces for foundations.