Greenlight for ORE expansion in Blyth

To that end, UKRI is providing £85.6m of capital funding for the late-stage research and development facilities that will be able to test blades up to 150m and drive trains up to 23MW. Both blade and drive train capabilities will have the capacity for further expansion, to 180m and 28MW respectively, to meet future industry demand.

According to ORE, the new facilities will enable faster product development of turbines through test, validation and certification and are expected to prevent 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by accelerating deployment by a minimum of eight-months.

They will also support the growth of UK supply chains, and provide research infrastructure to support inward investment into the UK wind industry. They will also create 30 new jobs in Blyth and support five  PhDs a year.

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In a statement, Dr Adam Staines, UKRI Infrastructure Portfolio director, said: “The project in Blyth demonstrates that investment in the right infrastructure can reduce CO2, support greater energy independence and drive economic benefits that build world-class places to live and work, as well. Working across UKRI with Innovate UK’s Catapult Network and the wider supply chain will help achieve these crucial objectives.”