GE Renewable Energy has secured the planning consent from local authorities for its Teesside offshore wind blade manufacturing plant in the UK.
Construction on the facility on the South Bank of Teesworks is expected to commence later this year, after all contractual documents are finalised.
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LM Wind Power will operate the facility, for production of 107-metre- long blades for GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbines.
The new facility is expected to open in 2023.
LM Wind Power UK general manager Andrew Bellamy said: “We anticipate the vast majority of the roles in our new factory to be filled by local workers who will be given training through the LM Centre of Excellence, where they will be fully upskilled on blade manufacturing techniques.”
Recruitment for the plant is expected to start in mid-2022, with 750 direct positions and a further 1,500 indirect jobs anticipated to be filled.
The project will make blades for the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
Planned to be built in three phases, Dogger Bank is said to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion in 2026.
The wind farm will have the capacity to power six million UK homes.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “It’s fantastic news that this mammoth project has passed the planning hurdle and is on course to be up and running by 2023, helping to create thousands of well-paid, good-quality jobs for people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
“Once completed, it will play a central role in our ambitions to become a powerhouse in the growing UK offshore wind sector and add a huge amount to our clean energy credentials.”
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GE obtains planning consent for Teesside blade manufacturing facility. Credit: Teesworks/General Electric.
