GE Renewable Energy has confirmed plans for a wind turbine blade manufacturing facility on Teesside for its 13MW Haliade-X turbines. Each turbine blade is 107M long.

It will provide 190 turbines  for Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind project, being built by SSE Renewables and Equinor 130 km off the coast of East Yorkshire, as well as for export.

It will establish a base at Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool to assemble the Dogger Bank turbines, which are 248M  high. Turbine installation is due to start in 2023. In addition 120 skilled jobs will be based in the Port of Tyne for operation and maintenance of the wind turbines by GE’s service team.  

Ministers have announced £20M in funding for the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre,  and £75M for the Able Marine Energy Park at Immingham on the Humber.

Responding to the announcement , RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Hugh McNeal said: “GE Renewable Energy’s new blade turbine manufacturing plant will transform a former steelworks site on Teesside into a high-tech clean energy powerhouse, creating thousands of highly-skilled jobs in our UK supply chain. The 2020s will be a decade of delivery and today’s announcement marks the start of the next generation of offshore wind manufacturing in the UK.

“This plant will produce state-of-the-art turbine blades not only for the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, but also for export to fast-growing international markets, capitalising on our global lead in this technology. Industry is working closely with Government to maintain the UK’s pole position and our globally competitive supply chain.

“Today’s news builds on the Chancellor’s landmark announcements last week to support offshore wind manufacturing hubs on Teesside and Humberside, and I’m confident we’ll see more new investment coming into the UK supply chain in the months and years ahead”.