When the 170,000-square-metre manufacturing plant starts production in mid-2017, it will be “not the end, but the starting point of a development”, Siemens Wind chief executive Markus Tacke proudly announced at a signing ceremony last month at the German North Sea port of Cuxhaven.

While Tacke concentrated on the initial tasks of the new factory, Siemens offshore wind chief executive Michael Hannibal gave Recharge more detail on how the industrial giant will put Tacke’s claim into practice.

“Later,