GE Renewable Energy has received the official planning approval for its Teesside offshore wind blade manufacturing plant in the UK from the Local Planning Authorities.
This is the first major milestone in the lead-up to the construction of what is expected to be a state-of-the-art facility on the South Bank of Teesworks.
The plant construction should begin later in 2021 upon the finalization of all contractual documents.
As previously informed, LM Wind Power will operate the facility which will be dedicated to the production of its 107-meter- long offshore wind turbine blades, a key component of GE’s Haliade-X, one of the most powerful offshore wind turbines.
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."
Recruitment for the plant is scheduled to begin in mid-2022, with an estimated 750 direct positions to be filled. An additional 1,500 indirect jobs would be created to support the entire supply chain around the factory, GE said.
When production starts, the giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm would benefit directly from the blades produced at this new plant.
The three phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, powered by GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, will have a combined installed generation capacity of 3.6 GW, enough to power six million UK homes. When complete in 2026, Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said: “This important milestone brings us a step closer to the installation of UK-manufactured turbine blades on the world’s largest offshore wind farm. We’re proud to be the anchor project for this world-leading LM Wind Power facility, which offers long-term benefits to Teesside and the wider UK supply chain.”