Californian energy giant Clipper Windpower is to develop a new generation of offshore wind turbines in the North East of England. The decision was hailed by UK Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton, visiting the company’s headquarters in California, as further evidence that "the UK is fast becoming a magnet for renewable energy investment".
The Regional Development Agency ONE North East has agreed to invest a £5m package of support into Project Britannia - with Clipper Windpower basing its prototype technology at the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth, Northumberland. The investment is the culmination of two years work between Clipper Windpower, One NorthEast, the Department for Business and Enterprise and UK Trade and Investment to win the project for the region.
Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton said: "Clipper Windpower's decision to develop a new generation of offshore wind turbines in the North East of England is further evidence that the UK is fast becoming a magnet for renewable energy investment. A recent report from Ernst & Young showed that the UK has moved up from fifth to second in the world for attractiveness in new renewable investment. Behind this is the Governments determination to bring down planning barriers and target support at marine and emerging renewables. By 2015 we expect to see a threefold increase in green energy feeding into the grid."
Ian Williams, One NorthEast Director of Business and Industry, said: "Securing this substantial commitment from a company of the stature of Clipper Windpower is fantastic news for our region and confirms North East England as a major UK hub for renewable energy technology development and investment, building on our power generation manufacturing heritage.
"It has been a real team effort to secure this project, drawing on the expertise of our inward investment, sector specialist, US overseas office network and business finance teams to secure this internationally important investment.
"Our region has the engineering, research and development and manufacturing expertise to make this happen. Clipper viewed the North East as its global location of choice for this project which we hope will lead to long term manufacturing and job creation in the region."
The initial project is likely to create 25 highly specialised engineering jobs and further bolster the regions growing reputation in the offshore sector. Clipper will assemble a top team of industry professionals to design and manufacture the prototype.
Clipper Windpower will use NaRECs world-leading blade test and manufacturing facilities to construct a prototype offshore turbine - dubbed Million Barrel Equivalent *(MBE) - capable of delivering 7.5 mega watts of electricity into the National Grid. A single 7.5 MW turbine could potentially provide for the electricity needs of more than 5,500 homes and offset more than 32 million pounds of CO2.
The US firm has also announced Blyth Harbour is to be its European Centre of Excellence for Offshore Wind Technology.
Andrew Mill, NaREC Chief Executive said: "We are looking forward to working with Clipper as they develop their Britannia turbine. Their development team will have access to our wind turbine prototype development facilities throughout the course of the project.
"Clipper has been attracted to Blyth for the same reason we ourselves are based in the area - it has a long history in heavy engineering and technology development, not to mention the fact that the Blyth Offshore wind turbines were one of the earliest pilot offshore wind projects in the UK. Once again it seems that Blyth will form the focus of new breakthroughs in offshore technology."
Securing the investment from Clipper Windpower - which has offices across the USA, Mexico and mainland Europe - is a major coup for the North East and for NaREC.
It is hoped the prototype project could lead to further contracts to eventually build the new generation of wind turbines in the region, possibly creating several hundred new jobs in a multi-billion dollar global industry.
James G.P. Dehlsen, Chairman and CEO of Clipper Windpower, said: "We are extremely pleased to have One NorthEast working alongside us in support of the Britannia Project.
"We are honoured to be working directly with One NorthEast and the New and Renewable Energy Centre toward the launch of an offshore wind turbine which will offset the need to import and burn one million barrels of oil.
"Clipper Windpower looks forward to a strong relationship with One NorthEast and NaREC whose excellent engineering, testing and development capabilities will play a major role in the projects delivery.
"We are also very pleased with the capability of the local area which provides excellent regional university capability for support of offshore wind technology development, particularly through the Marine Design Centres expertise in marine technology and science."
Mr Dehlsen added: "At the same time, collaboration with the numerous local companies with skills and capacity for turbine component production will be a great asset as we implement the manufacture of the Britannia wind turbine."
One NorthEast and NaRECs support package for the project includes finance, access to offices, development, testing and assembly facilities over a two year period.
Clipper has worked extensively with the North of England Inward Investment Agency in Newport Beach, California, One NorthEast's US marketing arm, in the development of the Britannia Project for the UK.
Engineering development of the new MBE turbine will be shared between Clippers Advanced Technology Group, based in Carpinteria, California, and Clipper Windpower Marine to be based in Blyth.
The Regional Development Agency ONE North East has agreed to invest a £5m package of support into Project Britannia - with Clipper Windpower basing its prototype technology at the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth, Northumberland. The investment is the culmination of two years work between Clipper Windpower, One NorthEast, the Department for Business and Enterprise and UK Trade and Investment to win the project for the region.
Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton said: "Clipper Windpower's decision to develop a new generation of offshore wind turbines in the North East of England is further evidence that the UK is fast becoming a magnet for renewable energy investment. A recent report from Ernst & Young showed that the UK has moved up from fifth to second in the world for attractiveness in new renewable investment. Behind this is the Governments determination to bring down planning barriers and target support at marine and emerging renewables. By 2015 we expect to see a threefold increase in green energy feeding into the grid."
Ian Williams, One NorthEast Director of Business and Industry, said: "Securing this substantial commitment from a company of the stature of Clipper Windpower is fantastic news for our region and confirms North East England as a major UK hub for renewable energy technology development and investment, building on our power generation manufacturing heritage.
"It has been a real team effort to secure this project, drawing on the expertise of our inward investment, sector specialist, US overseas office network and business finance teams to secure this internationally important investment.
"Our region has the engineering, research and development and manufacturing expertise to make this happen. Clipper viewed the North East as its global location of choice for this project which we hope will lead to long term manufacturing and job creation in the region."
The initial project is likely to create 25 highly specialised engineering jobs and further bolster the regions growing reputation in the offshore sector. Clipper will assemble a top team of industry professionals to design and manufacture the prototype.
Clipper Windpower will use NaRECs world-leading blade test and manufacturing facilities to construct a prototype offshore turbine - dubbed Million Barrel Equivalent *(MBE) - capable of delivering 7.5 mega watts of electricity into the National Grid. A single 7.5 MW turbine could potentially provide for the electricity needs of more than 5,500 homes and offset more than 32 million pounds of CO2.
The US firm has also announced Blyth Harbour is to be its European Centre of Excellence for Offshore Wind Technology.
Andrew Mill, NaREC Chief Executive said: "We are looking forward to working with Clipper as they develop their Britannia turbine. Their development team will have access to our wind turbine prototype development facilities throughout the course of the project.
"Clipper has been attracted to Blyth for the same reason we ourselves are based in the area - it has a long history in heavy engineering and technology development, not to mention the fact that the Blyth Offshore wind turbines were one of the earliest pilot offshore wind projects in the UK. Once again it seems that Blyth will form the focus of new breakthroughs in offshore technology."
Securing the investment from Clipper Windpower - which has offices across the USA, Mexico and mainland Europe - is a major coup for the North East and for NaREC.
It is hoped the prototype project could lead to further contracts to eventually build the new generation of wind turbines in the region, possibly creating several hundred new jobs in a multi-billion dollar global industry.
James G.P. Dehlsen, Chairman and CEO of Clipper Windpower, said: "We are extremely pleased to have One NorthEast working alongside us in support of the Britannia Project.
"We are honoured to be working directly with One NorthEast and the New and Renewable Energy Centre toward the launch of an offshore wind turbine which will offset the need to import and burn one million barrels of oil.
"Clipper Windpower looks forward to a strong relationship with One NorthEast and NaREC whose excellent engineering, testing and development capabilities will play a major role in the projects delivery.
"We are also very pleased with the capability of the local area which provides excellent regional university capability for support of offshore wind technology development, particularly through the Marine Design Centres expertise in marine technology and science."
Mr Dehlsen added: "At the same time, collaboration with the numerous local companies with skills and capacity for turbine component production will be a great asset as we implement the manufacture of the Britannia wind turbine."
One NorthEast and NaRECs support package for the project includes finance, access to offices, development, testing and assembly facilities over a two year period.
Clipper has worked extensively with the North of England Inward Investment Agency in Newport Beach, California, One NorthEast's US marketing arm, in the development of the Britannia Project for the UK.
Engineering development of the new MBE turbine will be shared between Clippers Advanced Technology Group, based in Carpinteria, California, and Clipper Windpower Marine to be based in Blyth.
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