200 jobs created in Argyll as Skykon extends factory

 

© The Herald Originally published: 15/1/2010

A company which helped save 100 jobs in the Kintyre Peninsula last year is set to create 200 jobs at its plant on the former RAF Machrihanish base.

Wind turbine manufacturer Welcon Towers, part of the Skykon group, has concluded lease agreements with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for an extension to its factory at Machrihanish.

HIE and Skykon have also agreed contracts with builder Rok for site preparation and construction work. Rok is set to start work next month.

Skykon, which took over the factory from Vestas in March, safeguarding almost 100 jobs, is now on track to begin production of off-shore turbine towers. The plant has until now been focused on producing towers for on-shore sites.

Skykon is well placed to supply three major off-shore fields off the west coast of Scotland for which Crown Estates this month granted exploratory licences.

Skykon is investing more than £14 million in the first phase of development at Machrihanish, with HIE undertaking an additional £5 million of site preparation work. New staff have been employed to supply towers for the Clyde Windfarm project, Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, on behalf of Siemens, and additional recruitment is expected in early 2010.

It is hoped the plant will employ around 300 staff by 2012.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney said: “The extended factory will create skilled jobs and help Scotland capture the benefits of the onshore, and now offshore, wind industry. With the Crown Estates’ recent go-ahead for multi-billion-pound investment in offshore wind, this facility will be a first-class asset.”

HIE area manager for Argyll and the Islands, Douglas Cowan, said: “This extension will lead to larger turbine towers being manufactured here in Argyll ready to supply markets across the UK and Europe.

“This rapidly developing market presents an excellent opportunity for us to capitalise on the natural resources we have.”