Fight over 10,000 wind farm jobs for the region

The multinationals are looking at sites on the banks of the river to manufacture the giant 400ft turbines needed for offshore wind farms in the North Sea, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.

Officials in the region are desperate to attract an investment which would be worth millions to the economy and further the area's claim to be at the forefront of a green revolution in the UK.

But there are fears that the Government may try to tempt the interested companies to Teesside which has been ravaged by the closure of the Corus steelworks.

There are also worries the companies may decide to locate in Germany, Denmark or the Netherlands, despite the turbines having to be transported longer distances, unless Ministers do more to woo them, perhaps by offering subsidies.

Two of the manufacturers are expected to make decisions shortly – possibly before the general election – although the third may be more than a year away from making a commitment.

Able UK, on the south bank of the Humber near the port of Immingham, and Associated British Ports (ABP), which runs the ports of Hull, Grimsby and Immingham, are believed to be have suitable sites under consideration.

Matt Jukes, the port director for Hull and Goole at ABP, told the Yorkshire Post: "The Humber has a strategic location for the construction of turbines to supply to the offshore sites.

"It's the best location bar none, with 12 hours steaming time from Humber to Hornsea, site of one of the farms. At ABP, we are keen to make sure the the construction sites are on the Humber. We see this as a big development opportunity for the Humber."

It would mark a significant boost for the region's drive to be at the forefront of new technology. An offshore wind farm – with 83 giant turbines – has been earmarked for the North Sea coast off Hornsea, and carbon capture and storage technology is set to be trialled at the Hatfield power station, near Doncaster.

Mr Jukes warned that other countries in Northern Europe might also look to benefit from the jobs and investment that one of the multinationals could bring. "It is a competitive market and we need to be mindful of that," he added.

With a massive push for offshore wind farms to meet Government targets for producing more renewable energy, experts calculate a turbine factory in the region could create at least 10,000 jobs, including those in the supply chain.

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward is understood to be pressing hard for the companies to locate here, but some influential figures in the region fear that the recent jobs blow on Teesside will prompt Ministers to push for it to benefit instead.

Officials are basing their case for the Humber on the fact it is close to offshore wind farm sites in the North Sea, saving transport costs and time, and that the region has a long industrial heritage.

But the companies could still favour other countries if government support on the Continent offsets the extra costs of transporting the turbines to the site of the wind farms.

If they reach an agreement with the UK, it is likely the companies will move quickly and sites could be operational by 2012.

In January the Crown Estate announced ia 100bn strategy to harvest green energy and create tens of thousands of jobs in the next decade, which includes the wind farm in UK waters off Hornsea.

The Hornsea site covers an area of sea equivalent to the width of the UK from Liverpool to Hull which lies between 34km and 190km off the Yorkshire coast.

It is one of nine zones to be developed in UK waters as part