Siemens’ Hull wind turbine factory to open two months early

Energy giant Siemens will start manufacturing offshore wind turbine blades in Hull two months earlier than expected, due to significant interest from customers.

Construction of the energy firm’s 40,000sq m facility at east Hull’s Alexandra Dock was scheduled to be completed on November 1 next year.

However, UK contractor VolkerFitzpatrick has now been tasked with finishing the build on the date of September 1, 2016.

Once complete, the facility will cater for the manufacture of 75m turbine blades and the assembly, maintenance, storage and distribution of wind turbine components

The accelerated schedule now means Siemens mustfill the 1,000 jobs available, the majority of which will be within the blade factory, much earlier than expected.

The first batch of wind turbine blades for an offshore wind farm off the Norfolk coast is scheduled to start early 2017.

Finbarr Dowling, Siemens’ Hull project director , told BBC Radio Humberside this morning: “Things are going so well we’re planning now to open the factory two months earlier. The challenge there, of course, is we have to accelerate everything forwards – recruiting the people, training them earlier, but the demand is there.

“If we can build it earlier, why not do it?”

Along with partner Associated British Ports (ABP), Siemens is also investing £310m in the Hull project – the city’s biggest ever inward investment.

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