Royal opening for Hull wind turbine blade manufacturing facility

On arrival at the site, Her Majesty drove the full 75 metre length of the turbine blade that featured as an art installation in the Queen Victoria Square, in Hull city centre, as part of the Hull City of Culture 2017 celebrations.

Her Majesty was driven in to the factory building, where the giant turbine blades are hand crafted. Presented to Her Majesty were leading figures in Siemens Gamesa, both from the UK and abroad, including Global CEO Markus Tacke, UK Managing Director, Clark MacFarlane and CEO of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser and Siemens PLC, Juergen Maier.

Clark MacFarlane accompanied Her Majesty on a short tour of the factory, taking in a visit to the moulds where the mammoth 75 metre turbine blades are handmade as a single, unbroken section. Clark introduced The Queen to employees including apprentices working on the blades under construction and they explained their work.

UK trade body RenewableUK highlighted the importance of the Queen’s visit to the facility, which began operating last September.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Hugh McNeal; said: “The Queen’s visit sends a powerful signal of just how far the UK’s offshore wind industry has come, and that it is a key part of the energy mainstream. The apprentices who welcomed Her Majesty to Siemens Gamesa’s state-of-the-art factory in Hull are great examples of the tens of thousands of British people now working in our world-leading sector, including its flourishing supply chain.

“During her reign, the Queen has seen some of the most profound changes in our nation’s history, and our awareness of the importance of taking practical action to protect our environment by switching to renewable energy is a prime example of this”.

In the Queen’s lifetime, the UK’s power sources have changed significantly, from 97% coal in the year of her birth to over 50% of our power being generated by low-carbon sources in 2016.

Her Majesty finished her tour of the factory by unveiling a plaque marking the day of her visit.

More than 200 offshore wind turbine blades, each 75 metres long, have already been manufactured at Alexandra Dock in Hull, where the company employs more than 700 people.

By Jake Frith