Vestas confirms Isle of Wight factory closure

Vestas has today confirmed the controversial closure of the blade production facility on the Isle of Wight that was recently the subject of a high-profile sit-in protest, announcing that it has informed 425 employees they are to be made redundant.

It had been anticipated that up to 650 jobs would be lost as a result of the closure, but Vestas said it had found new roles for 40 employees at the company's offshore wind turbine research and development facility on the island, which it plans to expand. Meanwhile, a further 57 employees are to continue to work at the factory over the coming months to assist with its closure.

There was also the prospect of some good news for the 11 workers who were sacked for their part in the 18-day sit-in that attracted headlines around the world, after the company's chief executive Ditlev Engel said that the company was reconsidering the decision to strip the protestors of their redundancy packages.

Engel told the Guardian newspaper that the company was committed to minimising the impact of the closure on those employees who have been affected, including the 11 men who were evicted from the plant last week.

"We will go back and see what we can do going forward and also for all the people affected because we only had one wish and that was to try to do this in the best possible way," he said. "Coming back to the 11 people, we will have to revisit, to look at that as well."

In a statement released earlier today, the company reiterated its view that the closure of the plant had been necessitated by the failure of the UK to provide a stable market for onshore wind turbines, primarily as a result of the difficulty obtaining planning permission for wind farms.

It added that the recent opening of new manufacturing plants in the US meant it no longer made environmental or commercial sense to continue the practice of producing wind turbines in the UK and shipping them to North America.

"The decision to close the factory was very difficult, and we fully recognise the impact this will have on employees, their families and on the Isle of Wight, " said Ole Borup Jakobsen, president of Vestas Blades. "Nonetheless, this commercial decision was absolutely necessary to secure Vestas' competitiveness and create a regional balance between production and the demand for wind turbines."

The company said it would consider investing in new production facilities in the UK as and when more stable demand for turbines is established.

"The UK has very favourable wind conditions, but the present market is not large enough to justify the required investment to convert the Isle of Wight factory to produce blades for the UK market," the company said. "Vestas is, as ever, ready to work with all relevant political parties to secure a long-term sustainable market for onshore wind power in the UK."