Two offshore wind firms to invest in northeast England hub

By Nina Chestney

LONDON (Reuters) - Two offshore wind manufacturers will invest more than 180 million pounds ($249 million) in an offshore wind hub on the northeast coast of England, and get funding from a state-backed scheme, the British government said on Wednesday.

In March, the government announced investment to establish two new ports on the Humber and on Teesside to enable manufacturers to build the next generation of offshore wind projects.

Britain has more offshore wind capacity installed than any other country and it powers over 7.5 million homes a year. By 2030, Britain aims to get about a third of its electricity from offshore wind.

The companies - SeAH Wind Ltd and Smulders Projects UK - will boost Britain's offshore wind manufacturing base in the Humber and northeast England and supply essential components to offshore wind farms across Britain and around the world, creating at least 1,000 jobs, the government said.

They will also receive funding from the government's 160 million pound offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme, which provides grants for major investments in the manufacture of strategically important offshore wind components, from turbine blades to sea cables.

Separately, U.S. energy firm GE Renewable Energy has said it will invest in a new offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Teesside.

($1 = 0.7242 pounds)

(Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Alexander Smith)