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Renewable investment comes to UK
 Global renewable energy group Gamesa has signalled plans to make a huge investment by creating a global centre for its offshore wind business in Britain.
Spanish-headquartered Gamesa which is already present in major energy markets in the US, India and China, has pledged to invest up to €150 million US ($210.64 m) in the UK commencing next year to create a research and development centre for offshore technology and to develop a turbine blade manufacturing plant.
In a huge vote of confidence for the future of the UK offshore wind energy industry, Gamesa says it will create 1,000 new jobs here, with another 800 jobs expected to be created indirectly within companies selling services and supplies to the offshore wind industry.
Gamesa said it intends to create a new global headquarters for its offshore division in London. “The London office will also handle sales, project management, finance and administration for the offshore business,” the company has declared.
Previously Gamesa has signalled that it wants to become a major player in the international wind industry sector and it is developing two “families” of prototype turbines with greater generating capacity to meet an expected rise in demand for offshore wind power generation.
Jorge Clavet, chairman of Gamesa stated today: “The United Kingdom’s resolute decision to enact an ambitious offshore plan, along with the country's support for foreign investment and the availability of large ports – which are essential in this business – convinced us to make the decision to base the global headquarters of our offshore activity in the UK.”
He continued: “This will involve sizeable investments in coming years and will generate local, skilled and sustainable jobs.”
One of the new Gamesa turbines is rated to produce up to 5 Megawatts, and the second 6 to 7 MW.
The first these 5 MW prototypes, designated G11X, is to be tested in the last quarter of 2012, and “pre-series” models will be ready for market entry in 2013, the company has indicated.
Development of these larger turbines is being carried out with Newport News Shipbuilding, part of Northrop Grumman Corporation in the US. Together with Gamesa, Northrop is to work on prototype test site selection in the US, permits, installation and testing of the new unit, after an agreement between the two groups to collaborate on marine wind technology.
A second, 6-7 MW turbine is being developed which could become available by 2014, and which is being designed to tackle issues over turbine reliability, the desire to lower maintenance and to reduce electricity generation costs.
Separately Games also says it will operate its related ports businesses and turbine operations and maintenance from different bases around the UK coast.Advertisement
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Aker group grows value Norwegian industrial group Aker ASA says it value rose 16% in the first quarter to NOK 22.5 billion (US $3.74 bn) as its investments – mainly in oil and gas operations rose in value.
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