Fair wind on Humber after £260m investment to make turbines
GLOBAL offshore wind turbine developers are investing more than £260m in manufacturing facilities in the Humber region as the green push delivers a boost for the area.
Siemens Gamesa plans to invest £186m to double the size of a factory near Hull that will be able to build turbine blades longer than 100m. Meanwhile, GRI Renewables will spend £78m on a plant at the Able Marine Energy Park that is being developed on the south side of the Humber.
The two Spanish companies are both on course 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. Siemens’ investment is expected to add 200 jobs to its 1,000-strong workforce at the site, while GRI said that its plans were on course to create 300 jobs.
The investments were disclosed after GE Renewable Energy confirmed that it was planning to construct an offshore wind turbine blade factory at the Teesworks industrial site in North Yorkshire.
Siemens has produced more than 1,500 offshore wind turbines in Hull since 2016, serving customers around the world as well as wind farms in the North Sea.
The Government wants to quadruple the country’s offshore wind capacity to 40GW by 2030 to help slash carbon emissions and hit ambitious net zero targets. It is aiming to achieve a 78pc cut in emissions by 2035. Marc Becker, the chief executive of the Siemens Gamesa offshore business unit, said: “The rapid development of the offshore wind industry – and continued, strong, longterm support provided by the UK Government for offshore wind – has enabled us to power ahead with confidence when making these plans.
“We’re committed to unlocking the potential of wind energy around the globe, with solutions from Hull playing a vital role.”
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, said: “The Humber region embodies the UK’S green industrial revolution, with new investment into developing the next generation of wind turbines set to create new jobs, export opportunities and clean power across the country.”