United Kingdom/United States – GE Renewable EnergyĀ has received official planning approval from the Local Planning Authorities for its Teesside offshore wind blade manufacturing factory.

This is the first significant milestone in the build-out of this cutting-edge facility on the South Bank of Teesworks.

Construction starts in late 2021

Construction of the plant is expected to commence later in 2021, subject to the completion of all contractual paperwork. As previously disclosed, LM Wind Power will operate the plant, which will be dedicated to the manufacturing of its 107-meter-long offshore wind turbine blades, which are a critical component of General Electric’s Haliade-X, the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine.

Recruitment for the factory is expected to begin in mid-2022, with approximately 750 direct jobs available. Additional 1,500 indirect employment would be generated to support the factory’s full supply chain.

Power for 6 million homes

When production begins, the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm will directly benefit from the new plant’s blades. The Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s three phases, each powered by a GE Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, will have a combined installed generation capacity of 3.6 GW, enough to power six million UK homes. Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026.