Siemens Gamesa has won a £1bn contract to manufacture wind turbine blades at its Hull factory.
The factory will make the blades for 64 turbines at ScottishPower’s forthcoming East Anglia TWO offshore wind farm, which aims to produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of almost a million homes. The agreement will see Siemens Gamesa supply turbines turbines with a rotor diameter of 236 metres, more than three times the height of the Angel of the North.
Siemens Gamesa’s factory in Hull now employs around 1,300 people, having recruited more than 600 in the last year. The massive new contact has been hailed as “catalyst for economic growth and green jobs across the region.”
The contract award comes just after ScottishPower announced it was doubling its investment in the UK – from £12bn to £24bn – between 2024 and 2028.
Darren Davidson, UK and Ireland vice president for Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa, said: “The UK is the first leading industrial country to simultaneously phase out coal power and be a leader in offshore wind. If we’re to achieve our net zero targets, it’s mission critical this momentum is maintained. As well as delivering the blades to power the UK’s energy transition, our factory in Hull is acting as a catalyst for economic growth and green jobs across the region.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower will fire up our industrial heartlands and break down barriers to growth in our hard-working towns and cities. It will strengthen our national security – protecting our children and grandchildren from the climate crisis, and impact this will have on their future prosperity. By acting decisively and early, the UK has an opportunity to lead the world in the industries of the future — working in partnership with business like ScottishPower and Siemens Energy — creating real energy security, cutting energy bills and building jobs and supply chains in the UK.
“But we can’t move alone – and at COP I will lead efforts to protect Britain from climate change by also working with other countries to accelerate the global clean transition to tackle the causes at its root.”
Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, said: “Today is tangible proof of the importance of Britain’s Clean Power Mission – our East Anglia projects are delivering UK jobs, UK supply chain contracts and UK green energy. Getting more projects like East Anglia TWO off the blocks quicker will turbo-boost the UK’s supply chain, giving companies like Siemens Gamesa the confidence to invest in facilities like this blade factory in Hull.
“Britain’s clean power targets are achievable but demanding. We’ve doubled our investment and are ready to play our part with Government as it gets barriers out the way to build more projects like this, alongside the electricity networks needed to ferry green, homegrown power across the country.”
The East Anglia TWO scheme was confirmed in the latest Government’s Contracts for Difference allocation round in September.
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
