Siemens announces investments in major wind turbine facilities in England

Siemens will invest £160m (€190m) in two wind turbine units, including a rotor blade manufacturing facility, in Yorkshire, England.

The investments will be made in Green Port Hull project construction, assembly and service facility and a new rotor blade manufacturing facility in Paull, East Riding, in the Humber region.

The Green Port Hull project, which has been under development for four years, will also have an additional £150m investment made by Associated British Ports (ABP), the port partner of Siemens.

The total investment of £310m in the two sites is expected to create 1,000 new jobs, 550 at the blade factory and 450 at Green Port Hull.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said that the investment is going to create new jobs and opportunities, leading to more financial security and a more resilient economy.

The rotor blade production unit will manufacture Siemens advanced 75m-long IntegralBlade® designed for SWT-6.0-154 6MW wind turbines of the company.

The Green Port Hull project is scheduled to meet Round 3 requirements in early 2016, while the blade facility is expected to begin production later that year.

Reacting to the development, trade body RenewableUK CEO Maria McCaffery said that such major developments will enable the UK retain global lead in offshore wind, as it already has more capacity installed than the rest of the world put together.

According to RenewableUK, 22 offshore wind farms are currently operational in the country with five more under construction, and 18 under various stages of development.
Siemens managing board member and Energy Sector CEO Michael Suess said that the decision to construct a production facility for offshore wind turbines in England was part of their global strategy as the company invests in markets with reliable conditions.

"The British energy policy creates a favourable framework for the expansion of offshore wind energy. In particular, it recognizes the potential of offshore wind energy within the overall portfolio of energy production," Suess said.

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Image: The Green Port Hull and the rotor blade manufacturing facility will together create 1,000 jobs. Photo: courtesy of Siemens