Frimley, 2013-Oct-22
Whitelee wind farm in Scotland
Siemens is today celebrating the official opening of its new hub to support customer projects and onshore wind farm construction in Scotland. The new office in Livingston was opened by Fergus Ewing MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism. Representatives from Scottish Development International, Scottish Renewables and Siemens’ customers, contractors and staff also attended.
Guests were given the opportunity to tour the facility and meet with key employees to understand more about the work that will be coordinated from the new facility and to try out for themselves Siemens Zero Harm mobile unit used for health and safety training.
Mr. Ewing welcomed the opening of the new office and said:
"I am delighted to be able to open Siemens' new onshore wind facility. This further establishes Siemens as a key player in the renewables sector and one that is making an important contribution to our long-term onshore wind ambitions.
"The Scottish Government and our agencies continue to work closely with the renewables sector and we are always keen to engage with industry further to explore how we can work together on the challenges facing the sector."
Siemens new onshore wind hub in Livingston
Siemens new office will have a permanent staff of up to 30 employees and will act as a hub for construction operations for onshore wind power in Scotland and the UK and as a base for Project Management and Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) teams.
Grant Walker, Managing Director for Siemens Onshore Wind Power GB&I said:
“This is a crucial strategic step for Siemens Onshore Wind, consolidating our
commitment to Scotland as a key market and ensuring we meet our obligations to employment and the economy in the United Kingdom.
“The new facility will enable Siemens to meet its customer needs more effectively. It also confirms our commitment to supporting Scotland’s low carbon vision, supporting continued investment and the economies critical for the success of onshore wind.”
Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and Grant Walker, Managing Director of Siemens Onshore Wind Power GB&I
Scotland is a key market for Siemens and its technologies generate around 1.9GW of clean energy for homes in Scotland from onshore wind farms (almost.50% of total onshore capacity in Scotland). Siemens has supplied technologies into some of Europe’s largest onshore wind farms located in Scotland, such as Whitelee, Clyde, Crystal Rigg II and Griffin Forest, and pioneered its direct drive technology at wind farms like Lochluichart, Millour Hill and Calder Water wind farms.
Siemens is also contributing directly to local skills and employment and has already pioneered a new wind power service technician apprenticeship in 2010 at Carnegie College. There are now over 80 apprentices enrolled on that programme across Scotland and England. The onshore business is now developing an installation technician apprenticeship and exploring various Research & Development opportunities with Strathclyde University.
Siemens has an established presence in Scotland and employs over 600 people across its four sectors - Energy, Industry, Healthcare and Infrastructure and Cities. Operations are based across the country, including Aberdeen, Leith, Dundee, Glasgow and Inverness. Siemens plays an active part in the business community and is a Platinum Member of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, a Board Member of “Sustainable Glasgow”, a member of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry. Siemens also supports the work of the “Scottish Cities Alliance” and is a Platinum Partner to BASE Glasgow, a leading Sustainability event, launched three years ago.
-ENDS-
Contact for journalists:
Siemens plc
Rachel Odams, tel: 07808 824209
E-mail: rachel.odams@siemens.com
For further information and press pictures, please see: www.siemens.co.uk/press
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Siemens plc
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 170 years ago and now employs around 13,520 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £3.2 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
