London, 2010-Oct-25
Siemens, the largest provider of wind turbines and offshore grid connections to the UK, has announced that the company is well on track to build its UK wind turbine factory ready for 2014, creating around 700 new jobs. Siemens intends to produce its new direct-drive offshore wind turbine with a capacity of 6 megawatts at the new facility. The announcement follows the confirmation of funding for port site land development in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Comprehensive Spending Review.
"The positive signal from the UK Government means we can push ahead with our strategy of investments in growth areas for renewable energy, said Rene Umlauft, CEO Siemens Renewable Energy Division. "We will extend our market leadership with this new UK production plant for the next generation of offshore wind turbines."
Andreas J. Goss, Chief Executive Siemens plc and North West Europe, said: "I warmly welcome the UK Government’s continued support for the renewable energy sector. The funding to ensure appropriate port infrastructure is an important factor enabling us to accelerate progress with our £80 million investment in a new wind turbine factory, creating around 700 new UK jobs and many more in the supply chain."
Siemens is well advanced in its work to identify suitable locations for the new factory having assessed more than 100 ports in the UK and other North Sea countries. Siemens has now short-listed a number of preferred sites. The East and North East coast of the UK is the preferred destination. As well as bringing benefits to the UK economy through the development of the supply chain, locations on the east coast will provide optimum access to the key Round 3 development zones.
"We need access to facilities capable of handling large wind turbines. The next generation 6-MW direct drive offshore turbines turbines which will be built at the new UK factory will scale more than 150 metres, taller than Wembley Stadium’s arch and higher than the tenth tallest building in the UK," said Jens-Peter Saul, CEO Siemens Wind Power A/S. "We are working closely with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Environment and Climate Change to progress the port site competition process and we are looking forward to more details of the next stages in the near future."
Siemens is already investing heavily in renewable energy in the UK. The company is investing a 50 per cent equity holding as part of the SMartwind consortium for the Round 3 development of Hornsea. Siemens also has a 10 per cent equity stake as part of a joint venture in Gwynt y Môr and 25 per cent in the Lincs wind farm developments, both of which are already under construction.
Siemens has invested in an £8million Energy Service training centre in Newcastle and established a wind power technician apprenticeship scheme in conjunction with RenewableUK to help create the skilled local workforce needed for the growing industry. The company has located its North West Europe Centre of Competence for offshore grid connections in Manchester and more than 200 green jobs will be created in Manchester at Siemens over the next three years. Overall Siemens expects to double its workforce in renewables by 2013. Siemens is working with Keele and Sheffield universities on research and development (R&D) in wind power.
The new wind turbine manufacturing facility will draw on R&D provided by Siemens’ dedicated centres of excellence for wind power in the UK.
Siemens is the leader in the UK offshore renewable market. More than 40 per cent of the electricity from wind power in the UK is generated using Siemens Wind Power technology and Siemens turbines represent 77 per cent of the capacity of UK offshore wind farms operating and under construction.
-ends-
Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs 17,000 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2 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 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
Anne Keogh
Siemens plc
Tel: 01276 696312
Mobile: 07808 823545
Rachel Odams
Siemens plc
Mobile : 07808 824209
