Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas could create 2,000 new jobs in building giant wind turbines in Kent.

Vestas has signed an agreement for 70 hectares of land at the Port of Sheerness in Kent to eventually build its V164-7.0 MW purpose-built offshore turbine.

Vestas says it is prepared to make the necessary significant investment in turning the option into a full lease and building the planned new production facilities provided the V164-7.0 MW order pipeline materialises as expected.

Anders Søe-Jensen, president of Vestas Offshore, says: “We have shown our intentions to make major investments and subsequent job creation, but it is evident that we don’t just jump head first into an investment of this size. We need to make sure it makes sense business-wise.

“Before our customers can provide us with the needed order pipeline, they need to see stability in the market and a long-term political and regulatory certainty that ensures their business case. Making that happen lies in the hands of the policy makers, so we are looking forward to seeing the UK government providing the best possible terms for the offshore wind industry to truly take off and the potential jobs becoming a reality.”

For more on the renewable energy sector, see the new issue of Recruiter, out next week.