Peter Symons of Locate in Kent, the inward investment agency, has been unwavering in his efforts to get a major wind turbine manufacturing facility in the county.
His arguments have always been that the Kent coast is a logical place to manufacture wind turbines for the growing number of turbine farms in the North Sea and around the coast of the UK.
This has paid off handsomely with the world leader in this technology, the Danish company Vestas, choosing Sheerness for its manufacturing plant. This follows the German company Siemens locating an £80 million turbine manufacturing factory in Hull.
Symons said: “The Vestas plant will build on the county’s already excellent credentials, its two existing wind farms and another under construction, (London Array) which, once complete, will be the world’s largest.”
He views the wind energy industry as a key growth sector for the UK and has been aware for some time that Kent has a particularly important role to play. This long term commitment meant Locate in Kent starting talking to London Array six years ago and Vestas in 2010. “The Kent coastline has several ports and harbours with excellent facilities to support both construction and operations and maintenance activities,“Symons said.
“Sheerness Port is part of the Medway Superhub, which offers more than 200 hectares of development land.” Other factors that help the arguments for Kent are its position between the English Channel and the North Sea and the good links to London, the rest of the UK and the continent. As part of this initiative, the Swale Skill Centre is being aligned to the offshore wind industry and DONG, which has a 50% stake in the London Array, is supporting 8 apprenticeships. Symons’ aim now is to attract other wind turbine manufacturers to the county as well as ancillary suppliers. The Vestas plant should be in full production by 2015.
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