Brown launches Clipper Newcastle wind power jobs boost
THE launch of a green energy factory that will see the creation of 500 jobs in the wind farm industry was announced by the Prime Minister today.
Gordon Brown was visiting Tyneside to see work start on the new Clipper Windpower Neptune Blade Facility, at the new Shepherd Offshore Renewable Energy Park, on the banks of the River Tyne in Newcastle.
The facility will build gigantic 236ft (72 metre) wind turbine blades - the largest in the world.
The announcement, made to around 200 businessmen and civic leaders, is of major importance to the region and the UK.
Mr Brown said: ``This is a great day for the Tyne, a great day for Newcastle and a great day for the North East.
``This is an area which had a shipbuilding industry which was renowned throughout the world, respected for the standard of craftmanship, and the skill of the work done here that was sold to the rest of the world.
``Now again we have the opportunity to lead the world from the North East.
``This is a new industry where Britain can be number one in the world and where the technologies constructed here can be built, developed and constructed and then sent out to the world from the Tyne.
``I welcome Clipper’s ground-breaking announcement to build the largest wind turbine blade on the banks of the Tyne.
``The UK is a global leader in offshore wind power and the North East is at the forefront in providing the skills, expertise, and enterprise to capitalise on this rapidly expanding market, which has the potential to create thousands of green jobs."
The new factory, a 43,000 sq ft facility, is expected to be completed this year and will be the UK’s first offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility.
It will be used to develop and build blades weighing more than 30 tonnes for the Britannia Project, a 10MW offshore wind turbine prototype being developed by Clipper.
The prototype is scheduled for deployment in late 2012 and will be among the largest wind turbines under development by the wind turbine industry.
Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd, director of Shepherd Offshore, said: ``We are delighted a company as prestigious as Clipper has chosen to base this manufacturing facility at our Renewable Energy Park.
``We are helping to place the River Tyne and the North East of England at the centre of this dynamic new industry, which is creating employment for the region which will last for decades to come."
Part of a Department of Energy and Climate Change grant of £4.46 million awarded to Clipper last September to push forward development of offshore wind technologies will be used to develop the offshore facility.
Clipper chairman James Dehlsen said each turbine would create power in its lifetime equivalent to that provided by a supertanker full of oil.
He said: ``Over the next few years, with the development of the Britannia turbine, the UK will benefit through the supply of electricity based on its abundant offshore wind energy resource, and also with economic activity related to turbine manufacturing, offshore installation, and long-term servicing and operations.
``The offshore wind market in the UK is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting sectors in the global renewable energy industry."
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