In latest news, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has announced the creation of 70 new jobs at its blade production facility on the Isle of Wight and, separately, has also announced the appointment of Tetsushi Mizuno as its co-chief executive.
With this new appointment, Mizuno replaces Jin Kato, who will stay on as a senior advisor for the next six months before returning to a high-level role at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan.
Concerning the jobs creation, International Trade Minister Greg Hands says, “MHI Vestas Offshore Wind’s decision to increase production staff at their Isle of Wight facility is great news. As manufacturers of the latest generation of offshore wind blades, they play a vital role in the U.K.’s offshore wind industry. I look forward to seeing these blades in U.K. and European projects in the future, starting with the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm.”
A Bilfinger GVA economic impact assessment found that the MHI Vestas’ blade production facility has provided 135 million British pounds of economic output to the U.K. economy in the last 12 months, supporting over 380 direct and indirect jobs and generating significant value for the local Isle of Wight economy through salaries and spending.
“There are three key areas of value that we bring to the U.K. – namely, competition, innovation and skills – which will continue to bring direct benefits in terms of cost reductions, jobs and investment in the U.K.,” comments Jens Tommerup, CEO at MHI Vestas offshore wind. “This truly is a win-win-win scenario: a win for U.K. jobs; a win for U.K. industry; a win for cost-competitive, secure, low-carbon power generation in the United Kingdom.”
MHI Vestas says it opted to build a strong, competitive supply chain that creates jobs and investment in the U.K. because of the continued market growth and sustained policy support for offshore wind power projects. The company remains firmly on track to deliver up to 800 jobs and 200 million British pounds of investment in the U.K. as part of a broader industrial strategy.
