This morning, the Queen of England paid a visit to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s offshore wind turbine blade factory in Hull.
Upon arrival at the site, Her Majesty drove the full 75-meter length of a turbine blade, which was featured as an art installation in the Queen Victoria Square as part of the Hull City of Culture 2017 celebrations, says Siemens Gamesa.
The Queen was driven in to the factory building and was greeted by a number of company executives. Clark MacFarlane, U.K. managing director at the company, then accompanied the Queen on a short tour of the factory and introduced her to employees working on the blades, which are handmade as a single, unbroken section.
The Queen is visiting wind turbine blade factory, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to see the blade production line, meet operatives & watch a demo of their work. #RoyalVisitHull pic.twitter.com/vcTXaUYZOu
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 16, 2017
The Queen also met representatives from Greenpower and Pathway Plus, two organizations closely associated with Siemens Gamesa in Hull. She finished her tour of the factory by unveiling a plaque marking the day of her visit.
RenewableUK is highlighting the importance of the Queen’s visit to the factory, which began operating in September 2016.
“The Queen’s visit sends a powerful signal of just how far the U.K.’s offshore wind industry has come and that it is a key part of the energy mainstream,” says Hugh McNeal, CEO of the trade association. “The apprentices who welcomed Her Majesty to Siemens Gamesa’s state-of-the-art factory in Hull are great examples of the tens of thousands of British people now working in our world-leading sector, including its flourishing supply chain.”
More than 200 offshore wind turbine blades, each 75 meters long, have already been manufactured at Alexandra Dock in Hull, where Siemens Gamesa employs more than 700 people, notes RenewableUK.
“During her reign, the Queen has seen some of the most profound changes in our nation’s history, and our awareness of the importance of taking practical action to protect our environment by switching to renewable energy is a prime example of this,” adds McNeal.
In the Queen’s lifetime, the U.K.’s power sources have changed significantly: from 97% coal in the year of her birth to over 50% of its power being generated by low-carbon sources in 2016, according to RenewableUK.
The Queen views a demonstration of the work which goes into making the turbine blades at the factory. #royalvisithull pic.twitter.com/K8rBEium0P
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 16, 2017
