Siemens selects Green Port Hull

The parties have agreed to work together to develop plans for the construction of a new Siemens offshore wind turbine manufacturing and export facility at the port, with the aim of executing definitive agreements this year.

Associated British Ports (ABP), Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the University of Hull have already formed a strong partnership to launch Green Port Hull, a £100m redevelopment of Alexandra Dock.

Siemens was established in the UK 168 years ago and now employs some 16,000 people in the UK, with revenues last year of £4.1bn. Siemens already has a wind power training centre in Newcastle upon Tyne and a global centre for offshore grid connections in Manchester.

By 2020 the UK Government targets require 15% of energy production to be from renewable sources and to meet this target turbine operators will need to be on site manufacturing the turbines by 2014. In January 2010, Round 3 offshore wind development zones were announced off the UK coast, each with thousands of wind turbines Three of the largest sites are within 12 hours of Hull.

UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said, ‘This announcement by Siemens and ABP is a real vote of confidence in the future of offshore wind energy. I’m pleased Siemens has recognised the great potential of the UK and is pressing ahead with this project to create a world class centre of wind turbine production in Hull.

‘The development of green technologies is a real opportunity for our advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors to grow and build on the UK’s position as the sixth largest manufacturer in the world.

‘The demand for low carbon technology will grow and grow. This government is committed to ensuring that the UK benefits from that demand.’

Supporting those sentiments on the same day, UK Prime Minister David Cameron backed plans to explore a Supergrid linking green energy projects in the North Sea, Irish Sea and Baltic Sea.

Dr Gordon Edge, director of policy at Renewable UK said, ‘The Supergrid, developed on the back of the expansion of the North Sea’s offshore wind programme, will connect geographically diverse renewable sources into a trans-European grid, improving grid management and boosting Europe’s energy security.’