Denmark's Vestas said on Wednesday it would restructure its factory on Britain's Isle of Wight to manufacture onshore wind turbine blades instead of blades for offshore wind power, and that it would cut the number of jobs at the plant.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S will eliminate about 300 roles at a factory in the UK as the Danish wind turbine maker overhauls the site to produce onshore machines.

Ministers have been forced to step in and rescue a factory which makes wind turbines, on the Isle of Wight, after collapsing demand for blades pushed it to near collapse. On Wednesday, Vestas said it would make 300 of its British staff redundant after demand for its products slumped –.

Vestas said it is switching from offshore to onshore wind turbine blades, with half of its 600-strong workforce in Newport set to be affected.