The Government has come under attack for its decision to curb onshore wind after a turbine factory announced plans for closure with the loss of 125 jobs.
Steel manufacturer Mabey Bridge said it is proposing to close its renewables division in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, with the “uncertainty of market conditions for the UK onshore wind industry” in the longer term a contributing factor.
The move follows a failure in exhaustive efforts to find a buyer for the business as a going concern, the company said.
The news comes after the Government announced it was ending subsidies for new onshore wind farms a year early, to meet a pre-election pledge to halt the development of onshore wind.
Juliette Stacey, chairman of Mabey Bridge, said: “The uncertainty of market conditions for the UK onshore wind industry in the longer term has been a contributing factor.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “This is bad news and clearly comes as a direct result of the UK Government’s recent announcement to end onshore wind subsidies. This has created uncertainty for the onshore wind industry and we warned of the possible consequences at the time.
Dr Doug Parr, Greenpeace policy director, said: “The Government should focus on delivering imaginative and progressive ways to reduce the cost of clean energy and create confidence for an array of projects, such as onshore wind, that will tackle energy security and climate change.”
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