Windfarming and the future

By TOM MCGHIE
Updated:

 

Wind turbine graphic

Financial Mail journalist Tom McGhie visits the region that could soon be the centre of a new worldbeating industry.

Near the spot where one of the first great ocean liners, RMS Mauretania, was launched 104 years ago on to the Tyne, giant wind turbine blades will soon be lifted on to ships.

The 255ft blades will be taken up the coast to Blyth, Northumberland, where they will be tested to destruction at Narec, the world's most advanced wind technology centre.

All being well, identical blades will be fixed on to a prototype structure situated offshore late next year. The operation has been dubbed Britannia Project. Including the blades and the underwater section of the structure, the total height of the turbine will be nearly that of the 1,063ft Eiffel Tower.

The massive wind turbine will be the largest in the world and capable of generating ten million watts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes.

It is envisaged that switching it on will kick-start the North-East offshore wind power revolution, an important plank in the Government's drive to boost green energy.

For Tynesiders more used to seeing closures of shipbuilding and North Sea oil and gas companies, the turbine is the future. The factory, to be built by US company Clipper Windpower in Walker on the banks of the Tyne, will employ 500 workers.

The turbine blades will be one of the first British-manufactured components of a growing wind turbine industry dominated by foreign manufacturers.Until now the wind industry has been more notable for hot air and promise than actual achievement.

The Government's boast that Britain is a world leader in wind-generated energy will come as news to Spain where wind power has at times provided half the country's energy needs. In contrast, wind power in Britain - on a good day - is responsible for 2% of our power requirements.

But all of that is about to change. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has acknowledged that Britain failed to exploit onshore wind potential and he insists he does not want to repeat the mistake. 'We are determined not to let that happen again,' he said. 'We are creating the largest market in the world for offshore wind and we intend to build and support the industry.'

The Crown Estate earlier this year announced the names of winning consortia to develop vast areas around our coast suitable for offshore wind farms. By 2020, there will be nearly 8,000 wind turbines installed around the coast providing 25% of our energy needs.

In the past two months there have been significant announcements that herald the start of a green revolution centred on a wind energy 'hub' in the North-East.

Last month Mitsubishi announced plans to build a £100 million factory in the North-East to make wind turbines. The company is looking for a suitable site for its investment.

And just last week General Electric revealed proposals to build a new plant at an unnamed location to build wind turbines. The project will create 1,900 jobs as part of a £305 million investment in offshore wind power. The North-East is confident that GE will come to the region.

The One North East regional development agency has pumped millions of pounds into promoting the North-East as the centre of the new wind economy. The scale of the total expected investment in the offshore wind energy industry is staggering at £100 billion.

Not only will it create 70,000 new 'green' jobs, but it will provide vital support to the North-East economy. The region has the most to gain because one of the areas designated for wind power development is the Dogger Bank, a relatively shallow area of the North Sea, 80 miles off the coast. The Dogger Bank wind farm - the largest in the world - will comprise 2,600 turbines in an area the size of North Yorkshire.

Most watched Money videos