In 2010,
the Scottish
Government
estimated that
the offshore
wind sector
could create
28,000
direct jobs,
and lead to
£7.1billion
of investment.
A few
years ago,
a facility for
assembling
foreign made
wind turbines
in Scotland,
was described
as 'a resurgence
of manufacturing
in the UK'.
We're frequently
told that renewable
energy projects
will bring hundreds
of thousands
of "green jobs".
Reality is that
many of the jobs,
especially jobs in
manufacturing,
often end up
being offshore.
Former First Minister
Alex Salmond claimed
the Pentland Firth
could become the
“Saudi Arabia
of marine power”.
Hundreds of
millions of pounds
of work was done.
But done by
foreign firms,
who were building
the £2billion
Neart Na Gaoithe
offshore wind farm.
Other work, on
different projects
has been lost
to Germany,
Finland and
France.
The Seagreen project,
which could create
more than 400
jobs annually,
is also looking
abroad.
Some of the work
will be done in China’s
Guangdong province.
All of the
wind turbines
are imported.
Chinese labor costs
are lower, and Chinese
steel is cheaper than
in Scotland / Europe.
Carbon footprints
don’t change that.
Environmental
protection
standards
in China
won’t be
as stringent
as those
enforced
in the UK !
Seagreen Wind
Energy Limited,
owned by the
energy giant SSE,
was awarded
exclusive
development
rights for the
Firth of Forth Zone.
This is a Scottish
renewables project.
It's owned by a
Scottish energy firm.
But much work
will be done abroad !
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