http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/wind/mitsubishi-invests-100m-in-scottish-offshore-wind-centre.html
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has chosen Scotland as the location for its UK research and development centre, which will see the company invest £100m in a cutting edge facility.
First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the plans by the company’s subsidiary Mitsubishi Power System Europe (MPSE) to invest the funds over a five year period, once again reinforcing Scotland’s renewable energy dominance.
Through the investment, Mitsubishi will acquire Edinburgh University spin-off Artemis Intelligent Power (AIP) and establish the MPSE Centre for Advanced Technology within the Edinburgh area.
The facility will develop an offshore wind turbine with a high degree of innovation and builds on the agreement with the UK government earlier in 2010 to provide funding of up to £30m to support MPSE’s investment.
MPSE will work with AIP to deliver a unique hydraulic technology in a large offshore wind turbine, which the company expects will be a ‘game changer’ in the development of offshore wind power.
Salmond said he welcomed the decision to create 30 new jobs as well as safeguard a further 25.
‘And as well as delivering new jobs and investment, over the long-term this announcement could result of the creation of a major offshore wind turbine manufacturing site in Scotland,’ Salmond said.
‘Mitsubishi has strong historical links with Scotland, with its origins in the Nagasaki Shipping company set up with the support of Thomas Blake Glover, the Aberdeenshire pioneer of Japanese commerce.’
MPSE said it expects the centre will grow over the next five years with the potential to create about 200 jobs by 2015.
Akio Fukui, CEO of MPSE, said, ‘The successful development of this technology will make Britain a key player in the offshore wind supply chain, potentially leading to the development of manufacturing capacity delivering to the Scottish, UK and European markets.
Fukio added, ‘This exciting project squares the circle of Scottish-Japanese industrial history dating back to when Thomas Glover assisted in the creation of MHI in the 1800s.’