MoU signed

The company intends to invest up to £100 million in an offshore wind turbine project in the UK. This will create up to 200 highly skilled jobs.

The Government is working with MPSE, and is intending to provide grants of up to £30 million to support the project. This follows on from extensive work with MPSE and discussions that the company had with Lord Mandelson and Ed Miliband at the Global Investors conference hosted by the Prime Minister in London on Monday arranged by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

This project will be the first step towards the production of turbines for the next generation of offshore wind farms. By working closely with Mitsubishi, the UK is a strong contender to be a manufacturing base for Mitsubishi in the future, which could create up to 1,500 new jobs.

Mitsubishi will be working closely with UK based companies and organisations to develop the turbines needed for the next generation of offshore wind farms.

Lord Mandelson and Ed Miliband also announced new funding of £18.5 million for an offshore wind test site in the North East of England. The site, off the coast near the New and Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in Blyth, will act as a technology demonstration and development platform for the next generation of large multi-megawatt offshore wind turbines. It also complements Government support for a blade test facility in the North East that will enable the testing of blades up to 100m in length. These world-leading testing facilities will make the UK a prime location for companies such as Mitsubishi.

The project will have three phases:
- Prototype assembly, onshore and offshore testing of Mitsubishi's 6MW second generation technology;
- Development of third generation offshore wind technology with the establishment of a UK-based Mitsubishi Offshore Wind Centre for Advanced - Technology; and
- The design and development of large composite offshore  wind turbine blades, and associated production techniques