Siemens unveils first Hull blade

Siemens will unveil the first turbine blade fabricated at its new £310m manufacturing facility in Hull on Thursday.

The German company said the blade is destined for Dong Energy’s 573MW Race Bank offshore wind farm.

The blade is the first of hundreds that will be manufactured at the Alexandra Dock facility every year for 7MW and 8MW turbines, it added.

Siemens said it has so far employed almost 700 people in Hull – with 96% living within a 30-mile radius of the city – from more than 23,000 job applications.

A further 100 staff are employed at Alexandra Dock working for Siemens’ suppliers and a total of 1000 people will have been recruited by the time the site becomes fully operational next year, the company said.

Siemens and its partner Associated British Ports started construction on the Green Port Hull site two years ago and the factory has been delivered ahead of schedule and within budget, the German company said.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark, who will vist Hull on Thursday, said: “This is exactly the relationship we want to see between our large infrastructure projects in the UK and our supply chain companies as part of our industrial strategy. 

“Hull has established itself as an important manufacturing and engineering centre for this innovative and exciting new industry.”

Siemens UK chief executive Juergen Maier said: “We are witnessing probably the best example of industrial strategy in action we have in the UK today – creating new, local, skilled jobs, sustainable growth and the latest renewable technology, benefiting the UK economy and our society.”

RenewableUK chief executive Hugh McNeal said: “Innovative, large-scale manufacturing for Britain’s offshore wind industry, as Siemens are doing here in Hull, is a key part of our nation’s modern industrial strategy.

“Offshore wind developers are committed to maximising the amount of locally-made kit in their projects, to ensure that we all reap the economic benefits of renewable energy – including opportunities to export, capitalising on Britain’s global lead in offshore wind.”

Image: Siemens