Industry to prosper from Brown’s wind turbine deal

The historic Yorkshire company will make gearboxes for Samsung Heavy Industries’ forthcoming 7MW wind turbines. These are being developed in Fife, Scotland, and are set to be the biggest in the world on completion.

The deal will transform David Brown’s UK business, according to Ian Farquhar, managing director of the £150m-turnover group’s wind energy division.

“It will probably increase by two or three times within three or four years,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

The contract helps offset the decline in David Brown’s traditional defence market, which has been hit by Government spending cuts.

But it was the gearmaker’s proven expertise in mission-critical applications – where the cost and consequence of failure are extremely high – that clinched the deal.

Mr Farquhar said: “This is a tremendous good news story for British industry and not only for David Brown. It’s very encouraging for other UK suppliers.

“For a business that’s had to reshape itself, it’s a major milestone. In times of austerity and doom and gloom, it’s good to be able to have these milestones.”

The company is using £2m from the Government’s regional growth fund to help develop a wind turbine gearbox research and innovation centre and centre of excellence for gear manufacture in Mirfield.

The UK is becoming the largest wind energy market in the world and is attracting the attentions of international investors.

Mr Farquhar said: “There is a lot of focus on bringing technology into this market to produce wind energy that ultimately can be exported globally. This is the market where that technology will be trialled.”

Sungyong Han, a vice president at Samsung Heavy Industries, said that David Brown is internationally renowned for superior expertise in gear system technology.

The Yorkshire company “fortifies Samsung’s confidence in the new off-shore wind turbine and its technology”, he added.

Charles Hendry, Energy Minister, said: “This is an excellent result for this Huddersfield company and demonstrates the potential for UK companies to diversify and become major players in this new, global market.

“David Brown may be 150 years old but they remain at the cutting edge of technology development and are seizing new opportunities with both hands.

“Let’s not forget, it is not just David Brown that will benefit from this – it’s great news for their broad network of suppliers too, and it’s a great tribute to the management and workforce alike.”

@bernardginns