Government and Vestas reach agreement to repurpose wind blade factory, protect 300 jobs

The Government has reached an agreement in principle with wind turbine manufacturer Vestas to repurpose its wind blade factory on the Isle of Wight, saving 300 jobs.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said a collaborative approach between the company and the Government meant a site that was almost certain to close would now have a future, offering highly skilled jobs and giving the UK new industrial capability.

The proposed plans for the factory were made possible in part because of the lifting of the ban on onshore wind – part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

The factory in Newport, which has been on the island for more than 20 years, currently produces offshore wind turbine blades, employing 600 people.

In that time the technology for offshore wind has evolved, with bigger blades needed for the new turbines to produce more clean power.

Demand for the product currently manufactured at the site is coming to an end and logistical constraints means it cannot produce the next generation of offshore blades, so the company had indicated the factory was at risk of closure.

The Government said it considers blade manufacturing essential for its clean power mission and intervened to negotiate.

The agreement in principle between the Government and Vestas meant the site can be repurposed to make wind blades for onshore wind turbines.