Vestas has reached an agreement in principle with the government that would see the wind turbine manufacturer repurpose its wind blade factory on the Isle of Wight, saving 300 jobs.
DESNZ said the The proposed plans for the factory have been made possible in part because of the lifting of the ban on onshore wind, creating a growing supply chain in the UK and making the site viable for the longer term.
The company’s factory in Newport, which has been on the island for more than twenty years, currently produces offshore wind turbine blades, employing 600 people. In that time the technology for offshore wind has evolved, moving to bigger blades needed for the new turbines. Demand for the product currently manufactured at the site is coming to an end and logistical constraints means it cannot produce the next generation of offshore blades, so the company had indicated the factory was at risk of closure.
The government said it considers blade manufacturing essential for its clean power mission and intervened to negotiate with the company. The agreement in principle means the site will be repurposed to make wind blades for onshore wind turbines, offering protection for 300 jobs.
The agreement in principle will be followed up by a formal due diligence process.
Vestas said current manufacturing operations at the Isle of Wight employ approximately 600 people across manufacturing, logistics and support functions. The agreement in principle will sustain approximately 300 jobs in manufacturing activities.The company’s technology, activities which employ approximately 140 people on the island, are not affected by the decision and will remain a company centre of excellence for blade research, design and development.

Anders Nielsen, Group CTOO of Vestas, said “We have invested in jobs and manufacturing activities on the Isle of Wight for more than two decades, and we have great pride in the technical expertise that has been developed at the site. We are pleased that this partnership in principle with the UK Government means we can continue manufacturing activities at the Isle of Wight to support the deployment of onshore wind in the UK. The commitment to domestic manufacturing and clean energy from the new government and Secretary of State has been instrumental in making this decision. My sincere gratitude goes to everyone working for us on the Isle of Wight, for their significant contribution to wind energy, and we are pleased to be retaining, and offering a significant number of opportunities for our impacted colleagues during this process.”

Vestas will now go into a consultation process with employee representatives and aims to have clarity for most employees by January 2025.