Siemens to create 340 Manchester jobs
GERMAN Engineering giant Siemens has announced that it will create around 340 jobs at its Manchester campus following construction of its new Renewable Energy Engineering Centre – twice the amount it had previously envisaged.
The jobs will largely be within the Projects part of its Transmission & Distribution arm and will largely be focused on its plans for a centre of excellence for High Voltage Grid Connections (HVDC).
The company said that it expects the centre to build HVDC transmission systems for the UK and North West Europe – including for the major offshore windfarms planned for areas around the coast.
It added that the government’s commitment to carbon reduction targets would mean a major investment in offshore wind farms, which often need to be built more than 80km from land and that HVDC Systems were needed to transport that power.
John Willcock, director of major projects for Siemens Transmission and Distribution said: “The UK’s Round 3 offshore wind farms will be sited much further out to sea than previous developments and so will need HVDC technology to overcome the power losses that occur when bringing electricity ashore over longer distances.
“Strengthening our UK expertise in HVDC is therefore central to Siemens’ strategy and will help us maintain our leading market position in the UK.”
The company said that it would recruit a mix of both experienced engineers and graduates to do the work, targeting those universities which have a recognised expertise in electrical and power engineering.
It also said that engineers from other sectors such as oil & gas, industrial automation and the armed forces would be considered for posts.
Siemens plan to build a major renewable energy centre at its Manchester campus on Princess Parkway was first revealed by TheBusinessDesk.com in October. It is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Trade minister Lord Green welcomed the announcement. Speaking to TheBusinessDesk.com during a visit to the region he said: “This is clearly excellent news for Greater Manchester, the renewables sector is key to this country’s future energy needs.
“I am very encouraged to hear of this investment.”
