Vestas turbine factory staff at risk of redundancy

Staff at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have been told they are at risk of redundancy.

The 600-strong workforce at the Newport site have been warned up to half could lose their jobs as demand for the blades they make comes to an end.

Vestas said, after a deal with the UK government to manufacture onshore blades, it planned to repurpose the site and offer jobs to 300 staff.

A consultation has started and the outcome will be announced in January 2025.

The factory, which currently manufactures offshore turbine blades, opened in 2002 but modern blades are about 50% larger than the ones produced in Newport and the site cannot be adapted.

Vestas said it had reached an agreement in principle with the UK government to produce blades for the UK's onshore wind farms which would allow it to repurpose the factory and save around half the jobs.

It comes after the government lifted a ban on onshore wind as part of its clean energy plans.

The Danish firm added that "a significant number" of staff would also be offered the opportunity to relocate to its other sites.

Vestas' chief technology and operating officer Anders Nielsen said: "We are pleased that this partnership in principle with the UK Government means we can continue manufacturing activities at the Isle of Wight to support the deployment of onshore wind in the UK.

"My sincere gratitude goes to everyone working for us on the Isle of Wight, for their significant contribution to wind energy, and we are pleased to be retaining, and offering a significant number of opportunities for our impacted colleagues during this process."

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: "My thoughts today are with the staff at Vestas who are facing uncertainty about the future of their jobs, especially at this time of year.

"I am, however, pleased that we have reached this agreement in principle with the company to save 300 jobs on the site, and that our lifting of the ban on onshore wind farms is helping make a site earmarked for closure viable for the future."

Isle of Wight West MP Richard Quigley said: "I understand this is a very concerning time for the people working at Vestas but I'm pleased the government has stepped in as fast as it has to save half the jobs because it was facing certain closure without."

Vestas said its technology activities, which employ approximately 140 people on the island, were not impacted by the decision and would remain a company centre of excellence for blade research, design and development.

The company closed a turbine plant in Newport on the island in 2009, axing 425 jobs and sparking an 18-day sit-in by workers.

The company opened its research and development facility at West Medina Mills in 2011 and restarted blade manufacturing there in 2015.

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.