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UK sets out to be world leader in off-shore
wind energy, but other countries are to
benefit from much of the multibillion cost.
James Irvine
Editor: www.land-care.org.uk
Filed 09Jan10
©www.land-care.org.uk
As the result of the absence of a coherent energy policy during the 13 years of Labour Government at Westminster, the huge costs that now face the UK are now becoming ever more obvious. The track record is one of lack of direction and of repeatedly missed opportunities. Labour's policy seemed to be to let the golden goose of the financial sector rip ahead under poor control in the belief that the UK was so rich it could buy anything it needed from someone else. Now that the golden goose has got itself, and the country into massive trouble, the situation is very different.
Wind technology has not been significantly developed;ed in the UK, while other European countries, notably Denmark and Germany, have forged ahead. The UK government failed to make up its mind whether it wanted nuclear energy or not. As a result the UK lost most its expertise in this field, while the French forged ahead. If the UK wants to embrace nuclear energy, which it will have to, it will be the French who will tell the UK how to do it - or rather, the French will do it for us at a massive cost.
Biofuels were much trumpeted for the UK in recent years, but it is clear that they are not a significant answer for this country, although elsewhere they may have major application. Even so, the UK continues to prevaricate as to whether it wants to embrace GM technology or not. Britain's over concern with "the environment" and with 'conservation and biodiversity" has got to be brought into check to give a more sensible balance between these plausible ideologies and the pragmatic matter of production.
The Labour government at Westminster announced on 8th January 2010 that it was awarding contracts for mine massive offshore wind farms around the UK. But these massive wind turbines will all to be imported from other European countries. None of them will be manufactured in the UK. The only UK factory making wind turbines was located on the Isle of Wight. It was owned by a Danish firm, but it was closed on account of the continued delays on the part of the UK government to make up its mind what it wanted to do.
The UK government claim that Britain will lead the world in offshore wind energy, but the only component part of this multibillion pound programme that is likely to have a significant British input is the installation of the hardware in the deep waters of the North Sea. But even then, just how many of the workforce will be British (1)?
The UK is one of the last, if not the last, of the EU countries to come out of recession. The UK national debt is horrific. This massive offshore wind farm project is not only controversial as to its efficacy but will provide other european countries with a major boost to their manufacturing output and to their balance of payments, whilst contributing relatively little to ours. The situation is made all the worse by the low value of the pound against the euro.
Meanwhile cracks are beginning to appear in the UK's energy supply (2). Will our energy supplies (mainly based on foreign contractual arrangements) last long enough before the new developments come on line? Offshore wind farms can at best be only part of the solution. So far there is no clear resolution as to where the rest of our energy needs are going to come from.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Webster, Ben (2009). Wind farms could power half of Britain’s homes, but jobs could go overseas.
timesonline. 8th January 2009 Click Here to View
2. Macalister, Terry (2009). Energy security questioned as National Grid cuts off gas to factories.
guardian.co.uk 8th January 2010. Click Here to View
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