A Spanish wind farm company has reaffirmed its commitment to Dundee in its latest annual report.
Gamesa, a leading wind turbine manufacturer, announced in January that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dundee City Council which outlined its intent to set up a manufacturing and maintenance base in the city.
The Basque firm intends to invest £127m to develop an offshore wind turbine business in the UK.
As well as setting up a base in Dundee, the company wants to create a research centre in Glasgow, headquarters in London and another turbine factory in the north-east of England.
If the firm’s plans for Dundee go ahead, around 200 long-term jobs would be created while local politicians hope the company would attract other renewable energy firms to the city.
Since Gamesa indicated its plans for Dundee, South Korean turbine manufacturers Doosan have announced they are looking at the city as a possible site for a factory, creating up to 500 jobs.
Gamesa’s annual report makes it clear their commitment to Dundee remains strong if sites in the North Sea are developed for offshore wind farms.
It states, “Gamesa plans to make the UK the centre of its worldwide offshore wind business, with over e150 million of investment there by 2014.
“Gamesa is currently examining a number of locations in England as well as Dundee, subject to there being wind projects in the environs.”
It adds, “Gamesa is currently considering locations for its centres for engineering (Glasgow) and logistics and O&M (Dundee), as part of the company’s offshore development plan in the UK.”
It is hoped that hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs could be created in Tayside and Fife as demand for renewable energy rises.