Analysis published by RenewableUK shows that investment announcements by the offshore wind industry in new factories exceed £900m so far this year.
This is the highest annual amount since the industry began in the UK in 2000.
The findings are being highlighted on the first day of the trade association’s Global Offshore Wind conference and exhibition in London.
Earlier this week JDR Cables unveiled plans to build a new factory in Cambois near Blyth in Northumberland, creating 170 jobs, as part of an investment of £130m which will also safeguard 270 jobs at the cable manufacturer’s existing plant in Hartlepool.
In March, GE revealed multi-million-pound plans to transform a former steelworks site on Teesside into a high-tech plant producing turbine blades, creating 750 direct jobs.
July saw two other major announcements.
South Korean company SeAH Wind is investing £260m over three years in an offshore wind turbine monopile foundation factory at the Able Marine Energy Park on the south bank of the Humber, creating 750 direct jobs, while Smulders Projects UK will invest £70m in manufacturing giant offshore wind turbine transition pieces at its site at Wallsend in Newcastle Upon Tyne, safeguarding up to 325 direct jobs.
Siemens Gamesa said in August that it will be investing £186m in doubling the size of its offshore wind turbine blade factory in Hull, creating 200 direct jobs.
As part of the offshore wind industry’s commitment to increase UK content to 60% by 2030, grants and business support worth £4.5m have been awarded so far this year to 76 supply chain companies by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, a £100m fund set up by the industry and delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to expand existing companies and attract new entrants into the sector.
The UK Government is playing its part with an Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support scheme which offers grants to companies making strategically important components such as blades, towers and cables.
RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said: “The Government is playing an important role in securing supply chain investment by providing strategic funding support to deliver the green economic recovery this country needs.
“This new funding to develop world-class offshore wind hubs in ports like Teesside and the Humber is a clear example of levelling-up in action”.