Wind woes

Vestas has formally announced the closure of its blade production activities in the Isle of Wight and Southampton, leading to the loss of 425 jobs.

The decision was made as a result of a consultation process announced in April involving the potential reduction of production capacity in northern Europe following increased manufacturing capacity in the US.

In a statement, the group said: ‘It does not make sense, from an environmental and cost perspective, to ship turbines overseas instead of providing them locally. Unfortunately, demand in the northern European market cannot absorb the excess capacity.’

Previously, blades manufactured on the Isle of Wight were shipped to the US. However, plans to convert production at the factory to a blade type that was more suitable for the UK market were scrapped due to poor market conditions and lack of local government support.

Ole Borup Jakobsen, president of Vestas Blades, said: ‘This commercial decision was absolutely necessary to secure Vestas' competitiveness and create a regional balance between production and the demand for wind turbines.’