Ahead of an expected announcement by the government on Monday
that an energy subsidy auction held by the government will prove
offshore wind is a much cheaper way to generate electricity than
nuclear, Molly Scott Cato MEP has renewed a call for Hinkley C to
be scrapped. The Green MEP for the region, said:
“I’ve long called for Hinkley to be scrapped. After today’s news
on the drop in costs of off-shore wind power, making it so much
cheaper than nuclear, only an economically illiterate government
would continue with this white elephant.
“The South West is richly endowed with a variety of renewable
energy resources, chief amongst them off-shore wind. It’s high
time the government ended its ideological pro nuclear,
anti-renewables obsession and supported resurrecting schemes that
were shelved in no small part due to dogmatic opposition to wind
power. The Navitus off-shore wind development in Dorset could
have secured enough energy to power 700,000 homes, while the
Atlantic Array off the North Devon coast was forecast to power
900,000 homes.
“Wind technology is moving ever faster forwards with innovation
delivering ever cheaper energy and overcoming technical
difficulties and environmental concerns. Meanwhile nuclear is
stunk in the bunker sucking up billions of pounds and failing to
deliver.
“Not only through its operation can wind power create many more
jobs than nuclear, there is also huge potential to create a new
green industrial revolution in the South West. The manufacture of
wind turbine blades and components has huge potential to become a
major manufacturing industry for the region. Already we see more
than £1 million worth of exports of micro windmills manufactured
in Stroud by Ecotricity. Meanwhile, in Hull, Siemens has invested
£310 million in wind turbine production and installation
facilities, creating over 1000 jobs.”
There is expected to be more bad news for the nuclear industry on
Tuesday when a new edition of the World Nuclear Industry Status
Report is published. It is expected to report on a catalogue of
financial difficulties facing the industry and the acceleration
in the decline of nuclear energy faced with strong competition
and rapid growth from the renewables sector, in particular solar
energy.
