Siemens unveils plans for new Hull factory

Multinational conglomerate Siemens has revealed plans to build an offshore wind turbine production site located in Hull’s Alexandra Dock.

This new factory is set to play an important part in the collective Green Port Hull project alongside Associated British Ports; a developmental strategy set to cost £310m. The facility will cover an area slightly larger than the pitch at London’s Wembley Stadium and will overlook the River Humber, providing a location at which employees will be pre-assembling components for wind turbines prior to being sent out to be installed offshore in the North Sea.

Staff welfare facilities and additional office space will also be housed in the warehouse. The plant’s design sees several precautionary flood resilience procedures employed, including a refuge area in first-floor offices, showing risk assessment plans and crisis management strategies in the event of flooding. Other measures in the pipeline include electrical termination and equipment housing to be above ground floor level.

As part of the design, an existing dockside shed is expected to be partially demolished and reconstructed in order to provide additional storage space for the warehouse.

The external walls will contain a combination of dark grey metal cladding and pre-cast concrete panels, and will be complemented with concrete flooring. These particular materials were selected to ensure that construction is straightforward and cost-effective, in order to allow for a speedy installation.

These plans are still the subject of planning approval from Hull City Council, with Siemens expecting the facility to become fully operational by mid-2017.