Helen McArdle
Transport Correspondent
A £100 million vision for an offshore wind turbine factory in Methil which
was expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the area has been left in tatters
amid reports that the main investor has pulled out, in the latest blow to
Scotland’s renewables industry.
Engineering giant Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is understood to have axed
plans for a turbine manufacturing plant in the Fife town just three years
after then First Minister Alex Salmond announced the deal – backed by £8m
of Scottish Enterprise money – would create the “next generation” of
offshore wind power.
In the end, the South Korean firm only created 20 research and develop
jobs, and is now in talks to sell-off the 7MW turbine which it erected on
the Forth in 2013.
Glasgow-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult confirmed that it
was in negotiation with the firm about “potentially acquiring” the giant
turbine, the largest of its kind in the world, for research purposes.
In a statement, ORE Catapult said the Methil turbine “would provide UK
industry and academia with unrivalled opportunity to develop a deeper
understanding of operations and maintenance of offshore wind turbines and
thus drive down the cost of delivering clean energy from offshore wind”.
The proposed sell-off appears to signal the end of plans to build a turbine
factory on vacant land nearby, scuppering the promise of 500 new jobs in
one of Scotland’s most deprived areas.
The base was set to house gearbox assembly and blade manufacturing
facilities as part of a multi-million pound deal Samsung signed with East
Kilbride-based David Brown Gear Systems, which is now owned by Finnish
renewables specialists Moventas.
Gina Hanrahan, climate and policy officer for WWF Scotland, said it would
be a “great shame” if Samsung pulled out.
She said: “There’s a massive potential to generate clean energy and create
jobs from the off shore wind resource around Scotland’s coastline. It’d
therefore be a great shame indeed if Samsung Heavy Industries were to
decide to pull out of the site in Methil.
“That there’s been an expression of interest in acquiring the prototype
offshore turbine at the site is encouraging, especially if this resulted in
benefits to all those involved in the offshore wind industry.”
The apparent disintegration of the scheme comes months after
Edinburgh-based Pelamis Wave Power folded after failing to attract enough
funding to develop its technology.
The firm entered administration in November.
A spokeswoman for Scottish Enterprise, which had backed the Methil
initiative, said: “We are in active discussions with SHI and ORE Catapult
with a view to ensuring a positive outcome is achieved for all parties.
“Alongside our partners, we remain committed to growing the offshore wind
sector through a number of key initiatives.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government added: “We understand that ORE
Catapult are in advanced discussion to take ownership of the facility which
will establish world-leading test facilities in Fife. The significant
investment that has been made in the development of the test turbine, which
has included an estimated £23m of direct investment into Scotland –
benefitting a number of supply chain companies involved in the turbine’s
construction. We will continue dialogue with Samsung, ORE Catapult and Fife
Council on the future of the site, as negotiations progress.”
Samsung Heavy Industries did not respond to a request for comment.
8 Comments