Wind turbine blade factory powers up the energy transition
Offshore wind company, RWE, has unveiled the first of the turbine blades being made at the Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull, marking a milestone in construction of the flagship project.
The 108-metre long blades are attached to each of the 100 x 14 megawatts (MW) offshore wind turbines which will operate at the heart of RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind project.
Once fully operational, the 1.4 gigawatts (GW) Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea will be capable of generating enough clean, renewable electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 1.2 million typical UK homes every year.
Tom Glover, RWE UK country chair, said: “To see these impressive turbine blades being produced, ready to be installed at our flagship Sofia offshore wind farm, is a fantastic demonstration of the true value that offshore wind brings to coastal communities, such as Hull.
“The potential for job creation within the renewable supply chain is huge.
“Not just with companies like Siemens Gamesa, which is manufacturing the blades for Sofia at their blade factory here in the UK – but right across the supply chain.
“Sofia is a significant development for RWE in the UK, and we are happy to be able to see that investment being maximised in support of important local, coastal communities.”
Darren Davidson, vice president Siemens Energy UK&I, said: “Our wind power business Siemens Gamesa makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies.
“At our offshore wind blade factory in Hull we’re powering the energy transition. We now employ over 1,300 people at the site, after recruiting more than 600 new employees over the last 12 months.
“We are proud to be a key supplier to RWE on a number of UK projects, including manufacturing the blades for Sofia. It’s great to have this project underway and unveil the first blade.”
Siemens Gamesa’s Hull blade factory is the largest manufacturing facility of its kind in the UK, having expanded to keep pace with the growth of the offshore wind sector.
More than 50% of the investment in RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm project is spent within the UK. Siemens Gamesa will manufacture, install and commission all 100 of the SG 14-222 DD turbines.
Each turbine will stand 252m tall, have 108m long turbine blades and a 222m rotor diameter. The total size of the wind farm will be 593 sq km, approximately the size of the Isle of Man.
The Sofia offshore wind farm project is located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 km off the north east coast of England. Offshore installation began earlier this year (2024), with project completion anticipated in 2026.
Operations and maintenance activities for Sofia will be managed from RWE’s new offshore wind operations base, the Grimsby Hub, which also services RWE’s Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm.
RWE is also developing in the region its two Dogger Bank South projects which, together, would have a potential installed capacity of around 3 GW.
