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.
The production of the wind turbine parts will be relocated to the US, and will mean a larger carbon footprint for any wind turbines used in the UK to help meet renewable energy targets as parts will have to be shipped from Germany and the continent. In addition the loss of over 400 jobs from both the Isle of Wight factory and their site in Southampton adds to record unemployment figures in the UK, although Vestas are keeping 40 jobs open in research and development on the island, as well as maintaining a base for sales in the UK.
President of Vestas Blade, Ole Borup Jakobsen, said,
“The decision to close the factory was very difficult, and we fully recognise the impact this will have on employees, their families and on the Isle of Wight. Nonetheless, this commercial decision was absolutely necessary to secure Vestas’ competitiveness.”
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Tags: renewable energy, vestas, vestas blades, wind energy, wind power, wind turbine, wind turbine factory, wind turbines