After 18 days of sit in protests from 11 workers trying to get their voices heard and save the Vestas Blades factory on the Isle of Wight the fight is over. A court order granted last week gave the authorisation for bailiffs to forcibly remove the sit-in protesters from the building.
The wind turbine factory was the only wind turbine manufacturing plant in the UK, which was originally looked at to be converted to make wind turbine blades that were tailored to the UK. Vestas backtracked on the decision however, blaming the UK planning system. The company also attributed the closing of the factory to insufficient demand in the UK for wind turbines, claims which come despite commitments to investing in more renewable energy from the UK government, and around the world.
Sitting at the top of Scotland with 22,000 inhabitants, Shetland receives more than its share of wind, making its small wind farm of 5 turbines, including Betsy, a 660kw turbine believed to be the world’s most efficient wind turbine in existence, very well placed.