WORK has begun on the creation of a £25m green energy factory, which will make the world’s biggest turbine blades and could lead to the creation of 3,000 jobs.

The Clipper Windpower factory, on Newcastle’s Walker Riverside, will be Britain’s largest plant of its kind, and will create 500 direct jobs. Up to 2,500 more could be created in the supply chain.

The 43,000sq ft factory on the former Neptune Yard, which is owned by Shepherd Offshore, will oversee the Britannia Project to help in the development of some of the world’s next generation of wind farms.

Whelan Construction has won the deal to work on the site, with the initial phase of the development – worth £5m to Gosforth-based Whelan – now under way.

Work has begun on the foundations on the reclaimed land on the banks of the River Tyne, and the steel frame of the building will be constructed in the coming weeks.

The building is to be handed over in October.

Martin Nunn, who is responsible for special projects at Whelan, said: “The Clipper factory is an amazing project not only for the North-Eas,t but for the UK.

“It’s great to be a part of such a prestigious development and the completed factory will be carried out to Whelan’s exacting standards.

“The foundation works on site will shortly be complete and we will then push the development forward, so we can hand the keys over on time and within budget.”

Given the nature of the use of the factory, the site is a green development, with various eco-friendly aspects being used, from air source heat pumps to recycled rain water, in order to achieve a high Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Methods rating.

Freddy Shepherd, director of Shepherd Offshore, said: “We have been negotiating to attract Clipper to the region for some time now and it is great to finally see Whelan on site with building work well under way to get this groundbreaking factory up and running.

“We are delighted that a company as prestigious as Clipper has chosen to base this manufacturing facility here in the North-East.”

The Clipper contract begins Whelan’s expansion into the renewable construction sector in the North-East, an area of the UK which has been earmarked for investment by the Government.

David Still, managing director of Clipper Windpower Marine Limited, said: “I have been involved in the renewable energy sector for nearly 25 years and have been fortunate to be working with Clipper for the past five years.

“It is an extremely exciting time for renewables in the UK and it is really great to see the factory start to take shape.

“We’re looking forward to starting production of the blades at the back end of the year.”