A SPANISH renewables company has announced plans to build a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Leith, creating around 800 jobs.
The £125 million investment by Gamesa will establish a new factory on a site at the Edinburgh port, which will make the enormous blades for offshore turbines as well as the generator units that sit at the top of the turbine.
The blades, which can be 50m long, will be made for turbines set to be built around the British coast.
Gamesa has signed a memorandum of understanding with Forth Ports for the site and the two will work together in preparation for a longer-term agreement. The port was competing with Hartlepool for the investment, with Dundee also under consideration.
First Minister Alex Salmond, told of the decision by Gamesa's global chairman Jorge Calvet, said it was "validation" of the Scottish Government's pursuit of a low-carbon economy.
Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said: "We have fought off incredibly strong competition from other parts of the UK for the location of the company's manufacturing facility, which is a fantastic addition to the growing list of major employers in renewables in Scotland.
"This reinforces the massive benefit renewables is having on our economy, and the role the sector will play in getting out of the downturn and in getting the labour market moving again."
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