Gordon Henderson, Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, is a dedicated supporter of Vestas’ aim of taking offshore wind power to the next stage by building reliable wind farms in the UK.
Gordon Henderson’s enthusiasm for wind power began in January 2009. In a row over unpaid bills, Russia cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine and since Ukraine is a major gas transit hub, a dozen other European countries froze. That was when Gordon realized the risks of relying on imported energy. Now he works to support wave and wind power as a way to increase the UK’s energy independence. “They are logical alternatives, and we must use them,” he says.
Gordon has taken it upon himself to support renewable energy companies who want to liaise with the UK government. He believes that an open dialogue is essential to secure the investment needed to deliver the UK’s future energy supply, and says “Vestas has an important role to play” as we are presently working to build a manufacturing facility in Gordon’s constituency.
“I have a personal interest in supporting Vestas’ plan to set up a factory in Sheerness. Vestas needs Government commitment, and the Government needs the support of firms like Vestas if we are to meet our ambitious targets for renewable energy. Vestas has been committed to delivering wind power in the UK for many years and has shown strong commitment in its public consultation for the Sheerness plant. That’s what we need, because without wind power we simply won’t have enough clean and sustainable energy in the future.”
Bringing jobs and skills
It’s not just about national renewable energy targets, of course. Especially in these hard times, politicians are always thinking about jobs – which are thin on the ground in parts of Gordon Henderson’s constituency. The prospect of bringing employment to his deprived area is attractive.
“On the one hand we’re suffering from a lack of jobs, while on the other we have a strong need to develop technical skills,” Gordon says. “Those starting out in their careers need the apprenticeships that allow them to gain experience. That’s why we have already set up eight wind turbine technology apprenticeships in my constituency. Initiatives like that bring technology and innovation to the district, but we need a lot more of them. The Government is committed to Vestas’ development plans. We are keen to provide Vestas with the assurance the company needs to invest in new manufacturing facilities.”
Building relationships
In Vestas, we believe in our presence in Sheerness would be a strong force for North Kent, and the wider South East region thanks to the track record in bringing skills and innovation to the areas where we operate. For Vestas it is essential to build strong and open relationships with local people, because they are the ones who will ultimately become the skilled workers that we need to build reliable and competitive turbines. But all the same, the local people sometimes feel sceptical about the prospect of Vestas coming to the area - they have seen promises and plans before, but they never materialized into concrete business with actual jobs.
Matthew Delany, Director of Government Relations in Vestas Offshore, has co-lead a team during the public consultation process. “I have spoken to the people of Sheppey and the surrounding areas to create an open and transparent dialogue about the conditions needed for Vestas to invest in the new manufacturing facility.” He says.
“It is vital to be transparent so that the people of Sheppey can fully understand the whole picture behind our plans for the Sheerness plant. We want them to understand the massively positive messages it sends, that it would signal the creation of a whole new industry for the UK, delivering world leading technology and securing the UK’s energy supplies for generations to come. But as well as the benefits we want the people of Sheppey to understand the huge and long term commitment it would represent. To make such a bold move we need to be confident that there is a demand for turbines in the short term, but also that there will be a market in the long term. We need a clear, long term market for offshore wind in the UK to invest in Sheerness. We also need firm orders from customers for our new offshore turbine.”He says.
Support from the local MP
The support from the local MP has been an essential milestone for Vestas:
“Gordon’s support for our plans is essential. The buy in at a local political level at an early stage means that we can address challenges ahead. It is important to have a regular dialogue about the progress, so he can manage expectations of his local constituents. At the same time, Gordon can support some of our engagement with Central Government on the big issues affecting the UK offshore wind sector. From Vestas’ perspective, the dialogue so far has been very fruitful.” Matthew concludes.
