Siemens, the German industrial conglomerate, is reportedly looking to build a wind-turbine manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom. The £75 million ($112 million) facility could create 700 direct jobs.
This is the second such announcement in less than a week. A few days ago General Electric, Siemens main competitor, said it would invest €340 million ($453 million) to develop and expand its wind turbine operations in the United Kingdom as well as Norway, Sweden and Germany.
These plant announcements, (add California-based Clipper Windpower own initiative to build a turbine plant in Northern England); come as the UK is overseeing the multi-billion dollar development of dozens of wind farms and marine energy projects off its wind-rich coast.
According to the Guardian, which first reported the news, Siemens greenlighted the plant after the UK government tweaked its budget last week so it included public grants to encourage the construction of green manufacturing hubs around port facility.
On the significance of the Siemens announcement, the Guardian writes:
The Siemens factory has particular significance because it shows Britain can beat off competition from Denmark and Germany to house a plant capable of making a new generation of extra-large blades.
The facility will demonstrate, too, that Britain can be at the centre of the German manufacturer’s worldwide wind ambitions, because Siemens already has a wind power-training centre in Newcastle upon Tyne and a global centre for offshore grid connections in Manchester…
Image: iStockphoto