A WIND turbine manufacturer says its expansion plans will help create more than 1,000 jobs and bring more than £40 million to the Solent economy.

MHI Vestas which has a factory on the Isle of Wight and premises at Fawley, on the former power station site, has invested in a new blade mould which will begin production in January.

Last year the Danish-owned firm took over part of the disused power station to site to build a factory to paint and store the 80m (260ft) long turbine blades, which it manufactures at Newport.

The massive blades are brought across the Solent aboard a specially adapted barge operated by Southampton-based Williams Shipping

An economic impact analysis conducted by BVG Associates has concluded that, in addition to the 380 new direct jobs at the Isle of Wight blade factory and its paint and logistics facility at Fawley, an additional 720 indirect and induced jobs will be added as a result of the company’s expansion effort.

The same analysis concluded that the total economic impact would be £42 million additional value-add per year to the regional economy.

The company’s announcement comes as the UK kicks off its annual Offshore Wind Week.

The sector is poised to grow exponentially as the UK expects to get a third of its electricity from offshore wind by 2030.

“This expansion effort is one of the most ambitious blade initiatives we have ever undertaken,” said MHI Vestas VP of Blades, Bo Jensen. “In close cooperation with the Isle of Wight Council, Isle of Wight College and Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, our training and certification programs are paving the way for the next generation of offshore wind specialists. This development of green energy manufacturing skills will not only benefit MHI Vestas but will also serve to elevate the regional composites industry as well.”

MHI Vestas UK manager, Julian Brown, said: “Among all the uncertainty these days, it’s quite a remarkable image: a massive blade mould comes into the UK with hundreds of new employees readying themselves for years of serial production. It’s offshore wind at its finest, actually – large-scale manufacturing, sustainable jobs, considerable economic benefit to local communities, and a green energy source driving the UK toward a carbon-free future.”

Bob Seely, Isle of Wight MP, said: “This expansion is great news and will back long term economic growth on the Island for years to come.

“There will also be hundreds of new jobs in local businesses to support the expansion, putting the Island and the wider Solent region at the heart of the rapidly growing global offshore wind industry.”