Back More Wind Power For The Future, Says MEP On NEG Micon Visit

10.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 20th Jan 2004

Chris Huhne MEP with Anthony Rowlands and Julian Brown

Hampshire's Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Huhne said that the Government is not making enough effort to promote electricity generation from renewable sources, particularly wind power.

Mr Huhne was visiting NEG Micon rotors to hear about expansion plans for the company, which makes propeller blades for large wind turbine generators at its plant at Newport on the Isle of Wight and at Merlin Quay, Woolston in Southampton.

Mr Huhne, pictured with NEG Micon rotors managing director Julian Brown and Island prospective parliamentary candidate Anthony Rowlands, said that Britain was the ideal place to generate electricity from wind because we had such strong, regular and often predictable winds.

But we have so far failed to take advantage of this renewable energy source on our doorsteps. 'We are still well behind Denmark and Germany, respectively generating 20 per cent and 3 per cent of their total needs from the environmentally-friendly source' said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne welcomed the expansion plans of NEG Micon both for more jobs on the island and at Woolston in Southampton. Mr Huhne said that the company represented precisely the mix of high technology production, innovation and green products that was guaranteed a rosy future.

'NEG Micon is creating well-paid jobs that boost to the economy around the Solent. On all projections this is a business that is set to grow further. Turbines and their blades are getting bigger and more efficient but also quieter' said Mr Huhne.

One turbine with 35 metre blades costs about £800,000 ($1.5 million) and is able to power 700 homes without any emissions or pollution and without using any of our planet's scarce hydro-carbon resources. 'This is the way we will generate more and more of our electricity needs in the future' said Mr Huhne. Plans for much larger blades are already under way.

Mr Brown pointed out that the energy used to make a wind turbine was paid back in just three months.

Mr Huhne recognised that the siting of wind turbines could be a sensitive issue, which is why he thought that offshore sites at sea were increasingly likely to be used for large-scale wind farms.

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