Turbine blades for Scottish Power’s £4bn East Anglia TWO offshore windfarm will be built in Hull by Siemens Gamesa in a billion-pound contract.
The agreement will see Siemens Gamesa supply 64 offshore wind turbinesfor ScottishPower’s third offshore wind project in the southern North Sea. The turbines have a a rotor diameter of 236 metres – almost as tall as the observation deck at the Shard building in London.
Almost 33km off the Suffolk coat, East Anglia TWO will be capable of generating enough to power the equivalent of almost one million homes.
The 115 metres-long blades will be manufactured at Siemens Gamesa’s offshore wind blade factory in Hull, where the workforce has risen to about 1,300 people after recruitment of more than 600 new employees over the last year.
Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, said: “Today is tangible proof of the importance of Britain’s Clean Power Mission – our East Anglia projects are delivering UK jobs, UK supply chain contracts and UK green energy.
“Getting more projects like East Anglia TWO off the blocks quicker will turbo-boost the UK’s supply chain, giving companies like Siemens Gamesa the confidence to invest in facilities like this blade factory in Hull.
“Britain’s clean power targets are achievable but demanding. We’ve doubled our investment and are ready to play our part with Government as it gets barriers out the way to build more projects like this, alongside the electricity networks needed to ferry green, homegrown power across the country.”
Darren Davidson, UK and Ireland vice president for Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa, said: “The UK is the first leading industrial country to simultaneously phase out coal power and be a leader in offshore wind. If we’re to achieve our net zero targets, it’s mission critical this momentum is maintained.
“As well as delivering the blades to power the UK’s energy transition, our factory in Hull is acting as a catalyst for economic growth and green jobs across the region.”
The contract award comes just after ScottishPower confirmed it is doubling its investment in the UK – from £12bn to £24bn – between 2024 and 2028.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower will fire up our industrial heartlands and break down barriers to growth in our hard-working towns and cities.
“It will strengthen our national security – protecting our children and grandchildren from the climate crisis, and impact this will have on their future prosperity.
“By acting decisively and early, the UK has an opportunity to lead the world in the industries of the future – working in partnership with businesses like ScottishPower and Siemens Energy – creating real energy security, cutting energy bills and building jobs and supply chains in the UK.”
