Lib Dem Plan to convert old Shipyards to Wind Turbine production

Unemployment stands at two and a half million people. Even though the economy is (marginally) picking up, we can’t waste the opportunity to generate new jobs and income that the expansion of wind power in the North Sea represents.

That’s why EmbraceMyPlanet, the campaign for renewables, welcomes Nick Clegg’s plans for linking the regeneration of disused shipyards to creating green jobs and supporting wind farms.

The Lib Dem leader has outlined an initiative to convert old shipyards into wind turbine production centres, by providing a £400 million redevelopment fund.

Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Middlesbrough, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow would then be able to bid for funding to be one of the seven new ports that the coming expansion of offshore wind will need. This could lead to the creation of 57,000 jobs in some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the country.

The potential for wind power to reinvigorate British manufacturing is clear, with the planned new Mabey Bridge turbine construction facility in Wales creating 240 new skilled jobs. It’s an aspect of renewable energy which isn’t discussed enough - in the run up to the Copenhagen Climate Change conference much was heard about the dangerous impacts of rising temperatures, but very little was heard about the enormous economic opportunities from reducing greenhouse gases.

China understands this all too well. It has already overtaken the US in the number of new wind turbines being built and funding for its transition to a low carbon economy stands at $500 billion - more than half of the UK's total budget.

The Chinese government has generated demand for wind power, and an unwritten rule that states at least 70% of installed turbines must be sourced from Chinese manufacturers guarantees their place at the top of the supply chain.

Whilst Clegg's proposal will aid the expansion of the supply side of wind turbines, it’s up to us to focus on the demand for them.

We are at an historic low for planning approvals for windfarms, with only 1 in 4 applications getting passed at the first opportunity. And as Vestas discovered, if you don't have a domestic market, it becomes economically impossible to build turbines in the UK.

This is why we're trying to give a voice to the silent majority - more than 80% - who want to see the expansion of wind energy. And by signing up to Embrace My Planet, you've got the chance to help create demand, jobs and a low-carbon Britain.