£4.4m for UK to develop world’s largest wind turbine blade

The grant was one of three awarded to offshore wind energy companies, announced by Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband at the TUC annual conference today. In total, the Government has committed to investing £120 million in the wind energy industry over the next two years.

Addressing the TUC, the Climate Secretary said: “With strong Government backing, the UK is consolidating its lead in offshore wind energy. We already have more offshore wind energy than any other country, we have the biggest wind farm in the world about to start construction, and now we’ll see the biggest turbine blades in the world made here in Britain.”

The grant awarded to Clipper Wind Power will allow the company to start work on a plant in the North East of England where its 70 metre-long blades will be developed.

It is hoped that Clipper will occupy the new site by April 2010 and will employ around 60 people there by the end of 2010.

Known as the Britannia Project, the blades that Clipper plans to develop will be part of turbines that will stand at 175 metres tall and which, over their lifetime, are each expected to displace the use of two million barrels of oil, saving 724,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Another recipient of yesterday’s awards was Siemens Wind Power UK, which received £1.1 million to develop the next generation power convertors for its larger offshore turbine.

“Siemens is committed to developing the technology and infrastructure to enable wind power to make a major contribution to the UK’s energy needs and help Government meet the 2020 targets,” said UK and North West Europe ceo, Andreas J. Goss.

“We are delighted to have been successful in being granted this support, which will enable us to develop our advanced power conversion technology here in the UK, helping growth and job creation in the UK wind industry to become a reality."

A £1 million grant was also awarded to Artemis Intelligent Power to transfer its existing technology from automotive to wind energy. “This kind of targeted support by Government enables small R&D companies like Artemis to develop the breakthrough technologies needed to bring Britain to the forefront of the low carbon revolution,” said its chairman, Waverley Cameron.

All three grants announced yesterday were awarded under phase 1 of the Low Carbon Energy Demonstration (LCED) capital grants scheme. 

Vestas Technology UK Ltd was the first company to receive a grant under the scheme when its offshore wind research and development centre on the Isle of Wight received £6 million back in July.



The money for Vestas – which will support 150 jobs on the Isle of Wight – was seen as something of a salve at a time when the company was closing its blade manufacturing site on the Island with the loss of more than 400 jobs.