Applications have opened for a so-called Clean Industry Bonus, offering financial support for offshore wind developers, on condition they prioritise their investment in areas including traditional oil and gas communities.
“Government initiatives like the Clean Industry Bonus, coupled with industry initiatives to support innovation and the upcoming Industrial Strategy, could drive hundreds of millions of pounds of private investment into new manufacturing.”.
Dan McGrail, chief executive of RenewableUK, said: “The offshore wind industry already employs over 34,000 people in the UK, but there’s an opportunity to treble this number by the end of the decade if we grow the sector’s supply chain.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the bonus scheme “is a baby step in the right direction but the funding on offer so far is nowhere near enough to transform offshore wind manufacturing in the UK”.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We are backing our proud manufacturing, coastal and oil and gas communities with good jobs, skills and private sector investment – delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.
