Councillors in Hull approved the partners' £210m ($338m) plans for the port, where Siemens is proposing to site production facilities for its 6MW offshore wind turbine.

The German manufacturer, which will invest about £80m, plans to have the site operational by 2014, in time to start making turbines ahead of the first UK Round 3 projects.

Steven Bayes, portfolio holder for economic regeneration and employment on Hull City Council, says: "We welcome that the planning committee has approved the application as it marks another key milestone in this major project.

"We