Further evidence of UK manufacturing rebirth
Confidence in UK wind energy programme

Following today’s announcement by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skill (BIS) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), heralding £100 million of investment by Mitsubishi in a UK-based R&D facility, BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery said:

‘BWEA is delighted with today’s announcement which underlines the keen interest of major international players in the UK wind energy programme. This tremendous commitment from Mitsubishi and the UK Government follows last week’s major announcement of the start of the new Clipper Windpower factory in Newcastle upon Tyne, which will be home to the largest wind turbine blade in the world.

Last month Mabey Bridge announced a £40m investment in a completely new factory to build wind turbines in Chepstow. This all signals the rebirth of manufacturing in the UK with an estimated 70,000 green collar jobs to be created on the back of over £100bn of private sector investment. The combined contribution from both on- and offshore wind is set to contribute up to half of the UK’s domestic electricity requirement by 2020, dramatically reducing our dependency on imported fossil fuels and displacing millions of tonnes of harmful CO2 every year. It is not an exaggeration to speak of offshore wind as the ‘new North Sea oil.’'