November 5, 2012
U.K.

Government causes wind farm ‘investment freeze’

By Matthew Sparkes | The Telegraph | 5 November 2012 | www.telegraph.co.uk

Orders for wind turbines destined for the UK have almost ground to a halt as industry figures warn that the Government has caused an “unnecessary investment freeze” in renewable energy projects.

he three largest manufacturers of turbines have received only one order for UK offshore wind farms between them, reports the Financial Times.

Keith MacLean of SSE, which is developing osshore farms off the UK coast, told the newspaper that the Government’s attempts to change low-carbon energy subsidies had caused an “unnecessary investment freeze”.

Last week energy minister John Hayes said that the Government no longer backed the “extraordinary” amount of wind farms in the UK, but energy secretary Ed Davey was forced to step in and contradict him, saying that policy on renewable energy had not changed.

Paul Coggey of wind farm developer RWE Innogy told the Financial Times that he was not currently looking to buy any turbines, but that if he was, Mr Hayes’s “ridiculous” remarks would make him think twice.

According to the newspaper only one large manufacturer, Siemens, had taken orders for UK offshore wind farms this year, in July. Vesta and Repower Systems have both received no orders since October 2011.

The Government is finalising a new energy bill which will replace existing subsidies in 2017, and add incentives for nuclear power stations.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/11/05/government-causes-wind-farm-investment-freeze/