South Korean wind energy major shelves project in Scotland
EDINBURGH South Korean engineering major Doosan Power Systems has scrapped a 170 million pounds investment plan to set up a research centre and wind turbine manufacturing units in Scotland, dealing a blow to the burgeoning UK offshore wind industry.
The cancellation of investment plans comes just a year after Doosan unveiled plans to set up research and manufacturing facilities in Renfrew and a 6 MW wind farm, in a move that was expected to generate around 700 jobs.
The company, whose plans were unveiled by the First Minister Alex Salmond last year, told the Scottish Government about the decision four months ago, but made no public statement. The news of the change in investment plans emerged at an industry conference in Denmark on Wednesday.
In a statement Doosan said it had decided in December to withdraw plans for developing offshore wind turbines in Scotland "in light of the overall economic conditions and liquidity issues in Europe".
The company has however reiterated its commitment "to working in Scotland and the UK as a whole, as demonstrated by our continual investment in technology and product development as a global centre of excellence for the Doosan Group. We also continue to fully support the development of clean energy solutions."
The company clarified that while informing the Scottish government and potential customers at the time, it was "not prevented by the Scottish government from releasing the news."
A Scottish government spokesman said: "Clearly we want as many manufacturers as possible to establish offshore renewables operations in Scotland, but not every energy company can be involved in offshore wind."
The Scottish National Party government has been making a major push towards promoting use of renewable energy resources, particularly wind farm projects.
The government spokesman pointed out that Doosan's operations are "not limited to offshore wind" and the firm has other investments in Scotland.
Though Doosan has decided to suspend investment plans, the government spokesman said Samsung and Gamesa had announced their intentions to develop and manufacture their next generation wind turbines in Scotland.
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