Turbine production at Sheerness moves closer

Aarhus, Denmark based Vestas revealed plans to manufacture their first purpose built offshore turbine, the V164-7.0MW, at Sheerness in May 2011, bringing with it the potential of up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs locally. At the time Vestas stressed its plans were dependent on clear political and regulatory commitment to offshore wind together with a steady order stream for the new turbine.

Offshore turbines have evolved from their onshore cousins, but as their size (and that of their components) has increased beyond that of those onshore cousins, they have come up against logistical constraints of road and rail transport, one factor determining the size of onshore turbines. It is expected that the development of coastal manufacturing facilities will help decouple the two supply chains, seen as a natural consequence of the maturing offshore wind industry. This will therefore be welcome news, particularly when viewed alongside the company’s plans for prototype and pre-series production of the turbine in Denmark.

While the potential demand for larger offshore turbines, within Europe and beyond, is well documented, the challenges of meeting those demands are not insignificant. European Wind Energy Association research suggested recently that an ultimate sales target equivalent of 1GW per annum is usually required to justify the expenditure (typically in excess of €100 million) associated with product development, supply chain establishment and assembly facilities.

The planning application is in two parts and involves outline planning permission for new buildings and storage areas, and full planning permission for works to the dock area, quays and access roads. The next stage will involve rigorous and objective assessment by the local council planning committee with a decision expected in May.

Peel Ports, owners of Sheerness Port, see the development as a 30 year plus project that will allow accommodation of Vestas while at the same time meeting the requirements of existing customers. The plans involve development of existing quaysides, berths and other facilities within the main port, along with previously reclaimed land to the south known as Lappel Bank.

The importance of this opportunity for the Isle of Sheppey cannot be overstated. Medway Ports took over the commercial running of the port after the Royal Navy pulled out in the early 1960’s and has had continuing success, including becoming the UK’s largest car import terminal. Sheerness itself however, is seen as something of a deprived area and suffered a blow in January when Thamesteel went into administration with the loss of 400 jobs, making the prospect of a potential new employer such as Vestas even more significant.

By Peter Barker