SeAH Wind and Smulders Projects UK is all set to receive financial support from the UK government for a new offshore wind manufacturing investment that it has announced. SeAH Wind will receive a grant to build a new monopile foundation plant in the Able Ocean Energy Park (AMEP) in the Humber, which will create as many as 750 direct jobs by 2030.
SeAH Wind, a subsidiary of SeAH Steel Holdings in the United Kingdom, has pledged to invest a total of £260 million in the next three years and will become the country's only monopile supplier. The manufacturing business is expected to start in 2023 and reach approximately 240,000 tons to cope with the sharp increase in global demand for monopiles.
Smulders Projects UK will receive £70 million in funding for investment in new equipment and infrastructure. It will manufacture transitional components for offshore wind turbines at its existing site in Wallsend, Newcastle, creating and protecting up to 325 direct jobs.
The government's support will come from the £160 million offshore wind power manufacturing investment support program, which will support the private investment of the two companies.
The scheme was announced by the Prime Minister last year as part of his Ten Point Plan to build factories that will develop components for next-generation wind turbines. The Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support scheme is intended to support the delivery of manufacturing investment in the offshore wind supply chain.