Clipper Windpower Marine Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of  Clipper Windpower, Inc. announced on 18 February 2010 the commencement of work on its offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing facility at the Shepherd Offshore Renewable Energy Park in Newcastle. The ground breaking event was performed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband and Minister for the North East, Nick Brown.

The new factory, a 4,000m2 facility, is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010 and will be the UK’s first offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility. The site is owned and is being developed by Shepherd Offshore Services.  Assuming expansion of the offshore market is in line with the Government goals and Clipper turbines represent approximately one gigawatt per year of development, the factory is expected to employ a local workforce in excess of 500.

The factory will be used to develop and build blades for the ‘Britannia Project’, a 10MW offshore wind turbine prototype under development by Clipper.  The prototype is scheduled for deployment in late 2012, and is among the largest wind turbines under development in the wind industry.  The blades will be 72 metres long and weigh over 30 tonnes.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change grant of £4.46 million was awarded to Clipper in September 2009.  The grant is intended to accelerate development and demonstration of offshore wind technologies and components for multi-megawatt turbines. Accordingly, the grant will contribute toward some of the costs associated with the development of the Britannia offshore wind turbine blade and factory.  In April 2008, the Crown Estate announced its purchase of the first commercial prototype Britannia turbine.

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