RenewableUK has welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to “support industries of the future”, including clean energy, as part of the Industrial Strategy.
RenewableUK’s Executive Director Emma Pinchbeck said: “The Prime Minster has taken a bold step by focussing specifically on innovative new industries where the UK is leading the world, and which are challenging the old order. That’s exactly what our wind, wave and tidal energy industries are doing by delivering affordable energy and clean growth – key pillars which Theresa May has set out in her bold vision for modern Britain.”
The government said it is building an industrial strategy to deliver a high-skilled, competitive economy that benefits people throughout the UK.
The Strategy green paper – ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’ – centres on an offer to businesses to strike new ‘Sector Deals’, driven by the interests of firms and the people they employ, to address sector-specific challenges and opportunities. As part of the deals, the government will be prepared to offer a range of support. The paper also sets out technologies where Britain has strengths in research and development which could be supported through the government’s new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, including: smart energy technologies; robotics and artificial intelligence and 5G mobile network technology.
“Our offshore wind and marine energy industries are the envy of the rest of the world, with economic benefits being reaped around the UK from the shipyards of Liverpool to the banks of the Humber to the waters of Orkney. The global renewable energy market is worth $290bn a year, so it’s crucial that the final Industrial Strategy provides a strong Sector Deal for our wind and marine technologies,” Pinchbeck said.
“Energy costs are crucial for all industries, so as this reboot for Britain takes shape, with renewable energy now a mainstream power source, we need to maximise the benefits we all get from the investments that have been made in modernising the way we generate electricity. This means that onshore wind has a key role to play in our future energy mix, as it’s the cheapest form of new power for Britain”.