US wind turbine manufacturer Clipper Windpower has confirmed it is to build a factory to manufacture the world's largest wind turbine blade in the UK.
The announcement came today as the Government launched a third call, worth £8 million, for proposals for capital grant funding for
technology development in the
offshore wind sector under the
Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF).
Clipper Windpower's 4000 m2
manufacturing facility will be based at Neptune Estate on the River Tyne in the
North East and is expected to be employing 60 people when it is completed at the end of the year.
It will develop and build blades for the ‘
Britannia Project’, a giant 10 MW offshore wind turbine prototype under development. The prototype is scheduled for deployment in late 2012 and is 72 metres long and weighs over 30 tonnes.
The factory has been made possible thanks to a £4.4 million grant from the UK Government under its Low Carbon Energy Demonstration capital grants scheme
announced in September and is an important first step in the UK Government’s plans to create
a domestic wind turbine industry for the offshore market.
Announcing it was now moving forward with its decision to build the factory, today, Clipper said it hoped to employ “in excess of 500 people” at the facility if Government plans for the expansion of the offshore wind market goes according to plan.
Visiting the site today, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “I welcome Clipper’s ground-breaking announcement to build the largest wind turbine blade in the world on the banks of the Tyne. The UK is a global leader in offshore wind power, and the North East is at the forefront in providing the skills, expertise and enterprise to capitalise on this rapidly expanding market, which has the potential to create thousands of future green
jobs.
"The combination of our strong natural wind resource and the substantial backing we’ve given the industry mean the
investment conditions in the UK are unrivalled."
The Government believes the Crown Estate's Round Three offshore wind licensing programme,
unveiled last month, will create one of the biggest offshore wind markets in the world. It is expected to deliver up to 32 gigawatts of renewable energy in British waters – amounting to the deployment of 6,000 wind turbines by 2020 and creating up to 70,000 jobs.
UK offshore wind one of the "most exciting" sectors in global renewables James G.P. Dehlsen, chairman of Clipper, added: “Today marks an exciting and important milestone in achieving the Britannia Project blade requirements. Over the next few years, with the development of the Britannia turbine the UK will benefit through the supply of electricity based on its abundant offshore wind energy resource, and also with economic activity related to turbine manufacturing, offshore installation, and long term operations and servicing,” said.
“The offshore wind market in the UK is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting sectors in the global renewable energy industry.”
Grant funding will support new generation of wind turbinesEnergy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, also visiting the site this morning, said the £8 million of Government funding for offshore wind technology development, could “help make the difference between Britain leading in the new offshore wind industry or simply being a follower”.
The £8 million will be invested in projects to support the development of a new generation of turbines and is in addition to £18 million already awarded to companies, including Vestas, Siemens and Mitsubishi.
Under the scheme projects must employ technology that is significantly different from that currently available. Any grants awarded under this call must be claimed in full by March 31 2011.
Related news:Green manufacturing newsNorth East green business newsGreen research & technology newsRelated links:
www.clipperwind.comwww.decc.gov.uk