A NEW green energy venture which will create 50 new jobs in Hampshire is set to be unveiled today.

A wind turbine manufacturer is to open a factory at the disused Fawley Power station.

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, which has plant in Newport on the Isle of Wight, is to create a state-of-the-art painting and logistics facility for its 80-metre turbine blades.

The firm, which has its HQ in Denmark, said the investment is a direct result of strong demand for the V164 offshore wind turbine platform and is part of £200m investment across the UK.

MHI Vestas CEO Jens Tommerup is due to visit the site today to officially launch the construction of the factory.

He said: “The cost of offshore wind continues to fall. This is fantastic news for the industry and for consumers, and also a great challenge for us to optimise our operations in every area.

“Our new paint and logistics shop at Fawley will improve our competitiveness worldwide and strengthen our UK industrial footprint.”

The new facility, expected to begin operations in April 2018, will paint the turbine blades which will arrive by ship from the Island.

Energy Minister Richard Harrington MP said: “This new facility in Fawley, developed by MHI Vestas, is a further sign of the growth of the offshore wind sector in the UK. Our Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Strategy set out the opportunities for Britain in moving from fossil fuels to a cleaner future. This development is a fitting example as it reuses the site of a former oil fired power station to produce parts for new clean wind farms.”

MHI’s move to the mainland comes just weeks after GE Renewable Energy submitted an application to Southampton City Council for a wind turbine research and development hub at the former Vospers shipyard site in Woolston.

The MHI project is part of a revitalisation plan, by the site’s owner Fawley Waterside Ltd, which includes 1,500 new homes, a luxury marina, a new ferry link to Southampton and light industrial units.

Fawley Waterside CEO Aldred Drummond said: “We are delighted to welcome MHI Vestas Offshore Wind as the start of our employment focused plan for the site. Fawley Waterside has enormous potential to be a major contributor to the wider economy and we are delighted to have a world leader in offshore wind energy and advanced composites join our vision to revitalise the area and further their investment in the Solent region.”