German company Siemens announces a new wind turbine factory is to be built in the UK.

The new factory, expected to cost almost £80m and create hundreds of jobs, is another big boost to the government’s future renewable energy plans.

Last year, the only major wind turbine factory in the UK, owned by Danish company Vestas and situated on the Isle of Wight, was closed, leaving 600 British workers jobless.

Now the UK Wind power industry is seeing a remarkable turnaround.

The government recently announced a £100bn plan to build huge offshore wind farms, and now Siemens look set to supply at least some of the demand.

Siemens aren’t the only company looking to cash in on the UK’s interest in renewable energy, however.

The new factory puts Siemens in a head to head battle with GE (General Electric), their American rival, who announced last week that they are also set to invest heavily in UK wind power, with plans to invest £110m on a factory making blades and other components for wind turbines in the UK. This investment is expected to create up to 2000 jobs.