Yorkshire Forward fights for offshore wind farm
REGIONAL development agency Yorkshire Forward is “actively working” to ensure the region benefits from the announcement by manufacturing giant Siemens to develop an offshore wind farm.
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, said: “This announcement is a great ‘win’ for the UK. In beating off strong international competition to gain this commitment from Siemens we have gained a real boost to the renewable energy market here.
“Whilst a decision has not been made on the specific site for this investment, Yorkshire Forward are actively working to make sure that opportunities on the North and South Banks of the Humber benefit from this announcement.
“This facility would enable Yorkshire and Humber to be a major centre for renewable energies and unlock significant economic and employment potential across the whole of the North of England, through the resulting supply chains.”
The German group yesterday said 700 jobs would be created following an £80m investment in a new wind turbine facility to meet future demand.
The firm said it was exploring a number of sites on the East Coast and in the North East and was working closely with regional development agencies.
A spokeswoman from Yorkshire Forward told TheBusinessDesk.com that she could neither confirm or deny that negotations were taking place between the RDA and Siemens for the facility to be constructed off the Yorkshire coast.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: “Siemens are a world leader in wind technology and this is a fantastic endorsement of the UK as a destination for renewable energy businesses.
“Siemens plans will provide hundreds of manufacturing jobs and many more in the supply chain – confirming the UK as a world leader in offshore wind.”
Peter Loscher, president and chief executive of Siemens, said: “With the new wind turbine production plant in the UK we’re pushing ahead with our strategy of investments in attractive growth markets for eco-friendly technology.
“In the foreseeable future the wind power market in the UK will be characterised by major offshore projects, and we’ll extend our market leadership with the new production plant.”
Andreas Goss, Siemens’ chief executive in the UK, said: “The UK Government has created a stable framework to attract inward investment in renewables and offshore wind power in particular.
“The competition for land development, announced in the Budget last week, gives us confidence that the appropriate UK port infrastructure can be made available to support our production plans.
“The new Siemens wind turbine factory will create around 700 new local jobs once it is in production, as well as additional indirect jobs in the supply chain.
“With the anticipated growth in the renewables market, there is potential for expansion of the facility in the future.
“This £80m investment, plus additional investment in our UK infrastructure for renewables, will provide a much-needed economic boost for the region, as well as driving growth in the UK’s innovative wind power industry.”
