This just in – Vestas R&D have secured £6m new funding for a new facility on the Island.
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has today confirmed that, subject to agreement on suitable grant offer conditions, it intends to make an award under the first round of a new funding programme for Vestas Technology UK Ltd’s research and development centre on the Isle of Wight.
This proposed award – more than £6 million – would include over £3m of funding from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
UPDATE
Vestas would be the first company to receive a grant from the ETF scheme.
It’s understood that Vestas submitted its bid from this grant earlier this year.
The grant would be for a new centre which they hope will safeguard 100 jobs and create a further 150 jobs on the Island in the short term and “may offer jobs to some workers from Vestas’ closing manufacturing plant.”
A new £120 million funding programme, part of a renewable energy strategy was announced last week, destined to support offshore wind farm. This grant will be taken from there.
Jim Brathwaite, SEEDA Chairman, said: “This announcement is great news for the Island’s workforce and economy: it will put the Island at the forefront of developing the next generation of off-shore wind turbines that the UK needs to deploy in significant numbers over the next decade.”
Impact?
Quite what impact, if any, this will have on the announced job losses is unclear. The R&D business is separate from Vestas Blades, where the sit-in is taking place.
UPDATE:
We’ve spoke to SEEDA who tell us that this will be for a new facility. VB wonders if this makes it unlikely that Vestas Blades would benefit, where the sit-in is taking place.
More details when we get them.
Read more from the DECC press release
