Siemens to build UK wind turbine factory and create 700 jobs
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Siemens, the largest provider of wind turbines and offshore grid connections to the UK, today (29 March) announced its intention to invest more than £80 million to develop an offshore wind turbine production facility in the UK, creating at least 700 jobs. The German-owned company said it was investigating sites for the new plant and was looking at a number of possibilities in the east of England and in the north east.
Siemens AG CEO Peter Löscher said: "With the new wind turbine production plant in the UK we're pushing ahead with our strategy of investments in attractive growth markets for eco-friendly technology. In the foreseeable future the wind power market in the UK will be characterised by major offshore projects, and we'll extend our market leadership with the new production plant," said.
Andreas Goss, Siemens' chief executive in the UK, said the UK government had created a stable framework to attract inward investment in renewables and offshore wind power in particular. "The competition for land development, announced in the Budget last week, gives us confidence that the appropriate UK port infrastructure can be made available to support our production plans," he added.
"The new Siemens wind turbine factory will create around 700 new local jobs once it is in production, as well as additional indirect jobs in the supply chain. With the anticipated growth in the renewables market, there is potential for expansion of the facility in the future. This £80 million investment plus additional investment in our UK infrastructure for renewables will provide a much-needed economic boost for the region, as well as driving growth in the UK's innovative wind power industry."
Siemens said it was currently exploring a number of sites on the East Coast and in the North East and will make its decision about the exact location when the competition process for land development is complete. The company is working closely with the Regional Development Agencies and its partners to find the optimum site.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the Siemens move was a vote of confidence from one of the foremost companies in the offshore wind sector. He went on: "More proof that we're exploiting the great natural resource that we have and creating the right conditions to attract investment. Siemens' investment will help create jobs and help us meet our renewable energy targets."
Siemens is the latest offshore wind manufacturer to announce plans for investment in the UK. Clipper has committed to build the world's biggest wind turbines employing up to 500 people; Mitsubishi intends to invest up to £100 million in an offshore wind R&D facility, creating up to 200 jobs; and last week GE announced a €110 million investment which the company believe will create up to 1900 jobs.