--- 240 jobs created in major UK manufacturing success story--- 

--- Mabey Bridge draws on 162 years of bridge building expertise to become Britain’s sole indigenous producer of wind turbine towers ---

In a landmark day for the UK renewables sector Charles Hendry MP, the Minister for Energy and Climate Change, officially opens Mabey Bridge’s £38m wind turbine tower manufacturing facility in Chepstow today (Thursday 12 May).

 The inauguration of the new Bevil Mabey Structural Steelworks marks the culmination of the firm’s ambitious move into the renewables sector and another chapter in its proud manufacturing history dating back to 1849.

Mabey Bridge has transferred 162 years of bridge building expertise into the manufacture of wind turbine towers. The plant is already open for business with wind turbine towers rolling off the production line. At full capacity the factory can produce 300 towers per annum.

“Mabey Bridge’s £38m investment in this magnificent facility, creating 240 skilled jobs, is extremely welcome. This is exactly the kind of investment, generating green jobs, that we want to see as the UK supply chain develops 

“This investment is a great sign of confidence in the skills of the UK and South Wales in particular. Today’s inauguration is a huge step forward for the renewables industry in Wales, and the UK sector as a whol

Rick Eggleston, Managing Director of REpower UK, said: “We have been consistently impressed with the high quality of product at Mabey Bridge. Local procurement of the towers from a reliable UK manufacturer makes sense. REpower and Mabey Bridge will continue to have a productive and positive relationship as we both build our businesses in the UK.”

Maria McCaffery, CEO of RenewableUK, said: “This is an exciting landmark for the low carbon economy as it heralds the return of turbine manufacture to these shores. Britain is the windiest country in Europe and it rightly has ambitious plans to deliver a low carbon economy by 2020. Mabey Bridge’s new plant will play a major role in that.”  

The factory has been named the Bevil Mabey Structural Steelworks in honour of the man who from 1946 transformed the family firm from a relatively small building supplies company into a world leader in the manufacture of bridging systems. Bevil Mabey died in late April 2010.

Charles Hendry MP, Minister for Energy and Climate Change, said: 

“Mabey Bridge has a proud manufacturing history that dates back to 1849 and today is another significant chapter in our evolution. Our expertise and pedigree in bridge building is the perfect springboard for us to deliver half the UK’s wind turbine towers. We are delivering 240 jobs to South Wales and are reaping the rewards of our £38m investment in this state-of-the-art plant.”

Peter Lloyd, managing director of Mabey Bridge, said: “This is a very exciting day for Mabey Bridge, for UK manufacturing and the renewables sector. No longer will companies in this country have to import wind turbine towers but instead they can now buy British.

 Not only has Mabey Bridge invested £38m of its own money in the state-of-the art facility but it is also creating 240 skilled jobs in the South Wales region. Mabey Bridge is currently the sole UK-based manufacturer of wind turbine towers.