26 Oct 2010 - Hopes are rising that Scotland will benefit from a multimillion-pound investment announced yesterday by a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer.
After months of speculation, Gamesa said it would open a research and development centre for offshore technology, build a manufacturing plant in the UK and base the global headquarters of its offshore division in London.
The company said the £133 million investment would create more than 1000 jobs, with another 800 jobs generated indirectly at local supplier firms.
Last month the Herald reported that Gamesa, was formally considering potential factory sites in Scotland. While the company has not announced a specific location, it is understood to be focusing on Dundee.
A spokeswoman for Scottish Development International said: “Gamesa’s announcement that it will place its global offshore wind headquarters in London is only one part of a wider investment programme by the company expected to involve a number of port areas in the UK.
“The Scottish Government and Scottish Development International have been in discussion with Gamesa at the highest levels with the aim of attracting elements of this investment programme into Scotland.”
Niall Stuart, chief executive of industry body Scottish Renewables, said: “This very much confirms the company’s commitment to the UK market.
“For Gamesa we believe everything is very much still to play for in terms of R&D and manufacturing and Scottish facilities such as Dundee and Nigg are incredibly well placed to help Gamesa achieve its ambitions in the UK offshore wind market. It also confirms that offshore wind is a massive opportunity and will create thousands of jobs.”
Gamesa’s announcement came as David Cameron said he would make available £60m for an improvement programme for ports to boost offshore wind projects.
Creating the necessary infrastructure at key port locations is seen as essential to ensuring the UK benefits economically from the anticipated increase in renewables investment in the coming years.
While the country is expected to see a proliferation of offshore wind farms, there is currently very little manufacturing capacity to build the new installations.
Mr Cameron said the move could create up to 70,000 new jobs, as the potential for Britain to lead the world in the offshore wind industry was “immense”, especially as thousands of turbines would be needed in the next decade.
“Manufacturing these needs large factories which have to be on the coast, yet neither the factories nor the large port sites exist and that, understandably, is putting off private investors,” David Cameron said.
“To help secure private-sector investment we are providing up to £60 million to meet the needs of offshore wind infrastructure at our ports.”
In other news, Siemens said it was well on track to build its UK wind turbine factory ready for 2014, creating about 700 new jobs, while GE reaffirmed its plan to invest £100 million to develop offshore wind turbine manufacturing facilities in the UK.
Meanwhile, former energy minister Brian Wilson said last night Scotland had to take a far tougher line on linking consents for renewable energy projects to the development of a local supply chain.
He said that the record of the past decade had been deeply disappointing and that “all the talk about Scotland being the renewable energy capital of Europe has not been matched with jobs or investment”.
Mr Wilson, speaking at an SCDI dinner in Aberdeen, suggested that the Scottish Government should appoint a single minister with responsibility for all aspects associated with renewable energy.
source: www.heraldscotland.com
