Plans for Scotland’s first wind turbine factory at Leith docks

The plan for Leith would see it producing Vestas’ new design of offshore blade, known as B236, which will be 115 metres (377 ft) long.

A turbine with three such blades is rated at 15 megawatts, from which its average output would power roughly 13,000 homes.

Built mainly from composite fibreglass and resin, the process of manufacturing blades is highly-skilled, requiring several hundred workers to produce them at a viable scale.

Blades are a particularly valuable part of the supply chain for wind turbines, also including the steel towers, the jacket or base and the nascelle, or gearbox.

At least one other company, Mingyang Smart Energy, is in the planning and development process for building turbines in Scotland.

As it is based in China, that has raised concerns about vulnerability to trade and security tensions between Beijing and the UK.

Vestas and its planning agent lodged a Proposal of Application Notice on Friday, which was published yesterday, starting the planning process with City of Edinburgh Council. The firm intends to consult with the Leith community over summer.

A spokesman said: “The UK’s offshore wind sector has strong potential, and Vestas has identified the Port of Leith as a possible location for a wind turbine blade manufacturing facility.”

“A final investment decision has not been made and will be based on several factors including the viability of the business case and the market outlook.”