Humber Estuary to get new national wind power college
The Humber Estuary will become the home of a new National Wind Power College, the government has announced.
The initiative is part of a national network of specialised colleges.
It is expected that the college will open at the end of 2016, but there are no further details of its cost or location.
The region is becoming a centre for offshore wind power with turbine factories being built on both sides of the Humber Estuary.
More details of the college plans are expected to be announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable later.
A Hull dock is being converted into a £210m “green port”, with a turbine factory built by German firm Siemens expected to create up to 1,000 jobs.
On the south bank of the Humber Estuary a £450m marine energy park in North Killingholme has been given planning approval.
‘Skills base’
Andy Dickinson from RES Offshore, which designs and builds wind farms, said the new college would help develop the industry.
“We’ve got the potential to be employing 1,500 wind turbine engineers in Grimsby alone,” he said.
“So there’s a huge skills base that needs building up.
“The companies, although they can train some staff, they need other staff that are coming in with ready-made skills.”