Boris Johnson’s pledge to power every home from offshore windfarms by 2030 has been dismissed by union bosses.
Unite Scotland poured scorn on the prime minister’s £160 million wind turbine plan, saying the industry had been placed on “life support” by the Tory government.
The comments come after energy firm SSE announced that Scottish firm BiFab had not secured any contract work from the Seagreen project – with all of the platforms for its 114 turbines to be manufactured in China and the United Arab Emirates.
This follows the minimal work awarded to BiFib by EDF through the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm project, which will consist of 54 turbines.
Unite has also repeatedly highlighted the “depressing” situation of the Macrihanish-based Wind Turbine company CS Wind, which has been sitting idle since November 2019.
The yard is the only UK facility manufacturing onshore and offshore wind towers.
Sector ‘on life support’
Unite Scottish Secretary Pat Rafferty doubts whether Scotland would see “a penny” of fresh cash.
He said: “The announcement by the prime minister that the UK will commit to 60 per cent of turbines to be manufactured domestically is rehashed rhetoric.
“The UK Government has repeatedly failed to act on recommendations for years and belatedly adopting this target only serves to highlight their years of inaction and abandonment of the domestic supply chain.”
He added: “The onshore and offshore wind sector in Scotland is on life support. We have the BiFab yards and CS Wind in Campbeltown sitting idle. The prime minister’s pledge is hollow words for these communities.
“SSE is awarding work everywhere but Scotland. EDF awarding scraps from the table. CS Wind’s Korean owners have mothballed its factory. Talk is cheap. We need action and we need that right now.”
