Comment on Siemens wind manufacturing announcement
Commenting on the news today that Siemens and its port partner Associated British Ports (ABP) is investing £310 million in wind turbine production and installation facilities in Yorkshire, WWF said that the news highlighted the potential of the UK’s renewable energy sector.
Nick Molho, head of climate and energy policy at WWF-UK, said: "Today's announcement shows that the renewable energy industry has the potential to create a significant supply chain in the UK, with positive impacts on economic growth and job creation in parts of the UK that need it the most.
“As a country that already employs close to a million people in its environmental and low-carbon goods sector and is a leader in the development of several new technologies like offshore wind, the UK should remain focused on making a rapid move towards a low-carbon energy system and growing one of the best performing parts of its economy."
A recent report on the economics of gas and offshore wind, which was written by Cambridge Econometrics and funded by WWF-UK and Greenpeace, highlighted the potential benefits of high levels of investment in offshore wind. The report found the scale of benefits depends on the UK developing a healthy supply chain for manufacturing renewable infrastructure, which is in turn dependent on investors and manufacturers receiving policy certainty.
