GE invests in turbine development

According to the US company, the move will create up to 1,900 new jobs in the UK by 2020, both in GE jobs and the associated supply chain with manufacturers of towers, blades, nacelles and other offshore wind technology locating to the as yet unnamed site.

This investment is tied to the successful deployment of the UK government’s port-development fund, announced in yesterday’s budget. The port-development fund provides up to £60m for the development of port sites to support offshore wind-turbine manufacturers looking to locate new facilities in the UK.

At the core of GE’s European expansion plans is the development of GE’s next-generation wind turbine, a 4MW machine designed specifically for offshore deployment. As the largest wind turbine in GE’s fleet, it will incorporate advanced drive-train and control technologies gained through GE’s acquisition of Scanwind.

GE’s UK manufacturing facility will produce the new 4MW offshore wind turbine and future generations of GE’s offshore technology. This technology is already being demonstrated at a test site in Hundhammerfjellet, Norway, where the first Scanwind direct-drive unit has been operating for more than five years.