Worldwide centre of offshore business in the UK

The Spanish producer of wind turbines Gamesa intends to choose the United Kingdom as the worldwide centre of its offshore wind energy business, and plans to invest up to 150 million euros by 2014.

The offshore industrial plan, which Gamesa plans to implement beginning in 2011 in the UK, calls for the creation of a centre for offshore technology and the construction of one turbine blade manufacturing plant. Gamesa intends to conduct its offshore business’ port logistics and turbine operation and maintenance services from different ports of the UK.

Gamesa also intends to base the global headquarters of its offshore division in London. The London office will also handle sales, project management, finance and administration for the offshore business. The company expects the construction and development of its offshore wind energy business in the UK to directly generate more than 1,000 jobs, with another 800 jobs created indirectly at the company's vendors and suppliers.   

Gamesa had previously stated that it intends to play a significant role in the offshore wind market to ensure that it capitalises on demand generated in the Northern European market, specifically the UK, beginning in 2015. The company is currently designing and developing two families of offshore turbines based on the proven and validated technology used in its G10X-4.5 MW turbine system. The first two prototypes of its G11X system, with unit capacity of 5 MW, will be tested in the last quarter of 2012, with pre-series models ready for market entry in 2013.