Siemens has officially inaugurated its new rotor blade factory for offshore wind turbines in the British city of Hull.
According to Siemens, the site at Alexandra Docks has been transformed in under two years from a derelict industrial wasteland to a busy, high-tech manufacturing hub.
Siemens says the factory has already made 75-meter-long turbine blades, which are currently stored on racks on-site. Shipping to the Race Bank offshore wind project is expected in early 2017.
“Our new factory in Hull, which we are today officially inaugurating, is located in one of the most significant markets for offshore wind power and will produce rotor blades for our 7 MW and 8 MW wind turbines,” states Michael Hannibal, CEO of offshore wind for Siemens. “The new manufacturing plant is part of our efforts to establish offshore wind power as a key pillar of a sustainable energy mix in Europe. At the same time, we are creating 1,000 attractive jobs here and thereby supporting sustainable regeneration in the Humber region.”
With its partner, Associated British Ports, Siemens is investing 310 million British pounds in Hull to create a center for offshore wind manufacturing, assembly and logistics. The new blade factory is the centerpiece of the investment, says Siemens.
The new production site has an area of 540,000 square meters, including an area reclaimed from a wet dock. The new factory itself covers 40,000 square meters and has an optimized material flow based on the Siemens production system.
