Clipper turbines grant award only possible following Lib Dem intervention (Greg Stone)

Clipper turbines grant award only possible following Lib Dem intervention

September 16, 2009 1:40 PM

Greg and Fiona at Walker Offshore Park Newcastle East Lib Dem spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has welcomed the announcement of £4.4m in financial support to Clipper to support development of their 70m Britannia wind turbine blade prototypes at Walker Riverside.

Greg said "I have been working with Shepherd Offshore to support the development of the renewables sector on the Tyne for many months and I welcome the new investment in green industry on the Tyne. This is something my Lib Dem colleague Fiona Hall MEP, Lib Dem energy spokesperson in Brussels, and myself have long been calling for."

"This initiative has only been made possible by the intervention of Fiona and myself to press One North East to lobby for Government assistance by taking advantage of "state aid" exemptions for renewable energy technology, and by the Lib Dem run council's commitment to regeneration of the Walker shipyards. The council's regeneration department made this investment happen by enabling the development of the Neptune Yard site owned by the local authority."

"Whilst this is a welcome step, I continue to believe the Government needs to do more to ensure that offshore wind energy is a key part of our national energy strategy. I want to see a national Offshore Grid infrastructure established as quickly as possible, creating orders for Clipper and others, and ensuring we remain competitive in this sector against other European nations."

"I have recently held discussions on this matter with project managers from Clipper, and look forward to further debate on the subject when I attend the forthcoming British Wind Energy Association conference in Liverpool in October, where I will be advancing the case for more jobs and investment on the Tyne".