MHI Vestas has announced its plans to repurpose an old facility in Fawley, UK into a new painting and logistics facility for its 80m turbine blades.
The facility to be used was an oil-fired power plant which once generated power. The company stated that repurposing the old facility will be a latest in series of manufacturing investments that it will be making. It is part of its comprehensive industrialisation strategy in the country.
This facility will complement MHI Vestas’ other manufacturing facility on the Isle of Wight where the 80m blades are produced. As per the company, the investment is the result of the surge in demand for its V-164 offshore wind turbine platform.
MHI Vestas CEO Jens Tommerup said: “As we saw in the recent CfD auction round in the UK, the cost of offshore wind continues to fall. This is fantastic news for the industry and for consumers, and also a great challenge for us to optimize our operations in every area.
“Our new paint and logistics shop at Fawley will improve our competitiveness worldwide and strengthen our UK industrial footprint.”
Expected to start operations in next April, the new facility could create up to fifty jobs. The company says that the investment shows the rapid industrialisation of offshore wind.
Fawley Waterside CEO Aldred Drummond said: “Fawley Waterside has enormous potential to be a major contributor to the wider economy and we are delighted to have a world leader in offshore wind energy and advanced composites join our vision to revitilise the area and further their investment in the Solent region.”
In early October, the company opened a new facility for assembly of Power Converter Modules (PCM) at the Port of Esbjerg, Denmark. This facility is also expected to ramp up its production of the V-164 offshore platform.
Image: MHI Vestas to transform old power plant into blade painting and logistics facility in the UK. Photo: Courtesy of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S.