Siemens to double size of Hull wind turbine factory
EXPANDING: Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbine blade factory on Alexandra Dock
Siemens Gamesa has confirmed plans to invest £186m to more than double the size of its offshore wind turbine blade factory in Hull.
It will receive grant funding from the government’s £160m Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support scheme to develop manufacturing facilities in the Humber region, supplying essential components to offshore wind farms across the UK.
An additional 41,600 square meters will more than double the size of plant, with construction planned to be completed in 2023.
It will remain the largest offshore wind manufacturing facility in the UK, growing to 77,600 square meters. Two hundred additional direct jobs will be added to the 1,000 strong workforce already on site at Alexandra Dock.
With planning permission already in place, construction is due to begin within weeks.
Clark MacFarlane, UK Managing Director for Siemens Gamesa, said: “Our investment in our existing offshore blade factory, logistics, and harbour facilities in Hull has been a key driver of the growth of the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry. We are proud to commit our long-term future in Hull and the Humber, providing safe, clean-energy workplaces which also contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy supply.
“As we work towards unlocking the potential of wind power, we applaud the UK government’s strong and consistent support for offshore wind.”
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “With its close proximity to some of the world’s largest offshore wind farms and strong skills base, the Humber region is vitally important for the growth of British offshore wind and is at the heart of our green recovery.
BLADES: The wind turbine factory in Hull
“This joint £186m investment from government and Siemen Gamesa will give a boost to this important industrial heartland, creating and supporting thousands of good quality jobs across the region while ensuring it is on the frontline of developing the next generation of offshore wind turbines and blades.”
The Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine blade factory officially opened in December 2016, and has manufactured more than 1,500 wind turbine blades for customers in the UK and Europe.
Around 97 per cent of the employees at the site live within a 30-mile radius of the city, providing significant economic benefits to the area.
The current projects receiving blades from Hull include Hornsea Two. When complete in 2022, the 1.4 GW Hornsea Two will be the world’s largest offshore wind power plant, with 165 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbines providing clean electricity to power more than 1.3 million homes.
Selection of construction partners to deliver the new expansion is currently underway. Manufacturing of other offshore wind turbine blade types already in the Siemens Gamesa Hull factory pipeline will continue while the expansion is constructed.