The Government and the private sector are investing £266m to develop the next generation wind turbines in the Humber region as the Government looks to onshore more manufacturers in the renewable sector.

The investment is expected to yield 1,340 jobs across the Humber, as part of Government’s ambitions to grow and nurture an offshore wind manufacturing base in the UK.

Offshore wind manufacturers Siemens Gamesa and GRI Renewable Industries will receive grant funding from the Government’s £160m Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support scheme, announced as part of the Prime Minister’s ‘10-Point Plan’.

Siemens Gamesa will invest a total of £186m to expand its blade manufacturing site located near Hull, creating and safeguarding up to 1,080 direct jobs. As a result of the investment, the company will be able to manufacture the next generation of offshore wind turbines and blades greater than 100 meters. Additionally, GRI Renewable Industries is the second confirmed company to build facilities at Able Marine Energy Park, South Bank of the Humber, with £78m investment in an offshore wind turbine tower factory, creating up to 260 direct jobs.

This follows the announcement over £180m of private sector investment from offshore wind manufacturers in the Humber and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne last month, and another £95m from Government to create two new offshore wind ports on the Humber and on Teesside earlier this year. GE Renewable Energy has also announced an investment in a major new offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing plant, the first investment on Teesside, that will directly create around 750 jobs in the area to supply the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project.

Chairman and CEO of GRI Jon Riberas said: “We are proud to participate in this major project to power British homes and communities with wind energy towards sustainability and carbon neutrality. This project will create a worldwide leader in the offshore sector in a market that is increasingly demanding and constantly evolving.”

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