Siemens doubles investment plan for UK wind turbine factory

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - German engineering group Siemens said it had doubled the money it plans to invest in building an offshore wind turbine factory and an installation facility in Britain to 160 million pounds ($263.8 million).

Associated British Ports, its partner in the Green Port Hull installation part of the project, will spend another 150 million pounds, Siemens said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The companies expect the two sites to create jobs for up to 1,000 people in Yorkshire, an area in northern England that was hit hard by Britain's recession.

The world's top offshore wind turbine maker will start producing nacelles, the engines that power wind farms, and its largest model of offshore wind turbines at 6 megawatts (MW) each, now made in Demark, at a new manufacturing plant near Paull from the middle of 2016.

Siemens' investment is a boost to Britain's offshore wind industry following a number of project cancellations recently due to higher-than-expected costs.

"This investment is going to create lots of new jobs and opportunities, meaning more financial security and peace of mind for families and a more resilient economy for our country," Prime Minister David Cameron said in the statement.

Siemens said it had chosen to invest in Britain because of its offshore wind-friendly energy policy and reliable market conditions.

Britain wants to defend its spot at the top of the world's offshore wind ranking by supporting the construction of new wind farms through a guaranteed electricity price mechanism.

Siemens said that moving the production of its 6 MW turbines from Denmark to Britain will not affect its Danish operations. ($1 = 0.6065 British Pounds) (Reporting by Karolin Schaps; editing by Jane Baird)