Mingyang has confirmed plans to build an offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility in Scotland.
The Chinese OEM plans to invest up to £1.5bn in the plant and create around 1500 jobs.
A number of sites in Scotland have been shortlisted for the factory, with Ardersier Port in Inverness identified as the preferred option.
The company said the move will create Britain’s “first integrated offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility and bring key parts of the renewables supply chain to the UK”.
Three phases of development are planned, with the first £750m stage expected to begin production of nacelles and blades by late 2028.
Later phases will see the facility expanded to create an ‘offshore wind industry ecosystem’ around the hub, including “infrastructure to serve the deployment of floating offshore technology at scale”.
Mingyang Group chairman Zhang Chuanwei said: “As a global leader in wind technology, Mingyang is committed to accelerating the global energy transition through innovation and community-focused comprehensive energy solutions.
“We are excited by the prospect of investing in the UK and look forward to finalising our investment decision.”
The OEM’s UK chief Aman Wang added: “We firmly believe that by moving forward with our plans to create jobs, skills and a supply chain in the UK, we can make this country the global hub for offshore wind technology.
“We fully support the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower, and I’m confident that once the plans are approved we can make a valued contribution to this goal.”
The company said it has held extensive discussions with the UK and Scottish governments over the last two years on its plans, as well as detailed commercial discussions with Great British Energy, the National Wealth Fund, the Scottish National Investment Bank, the Crown Estate and UK Export Finance.