SSE projects unaffected by supplier collapse

subscribe

British utility Scottish and Southern Energy said its wind farm projects were not jeopardized by the administration of one of its local suppliers.

The Scottish subsidiary of Danish wind power company Skykon filed for administration after its mother company suspended payments in October, threatening 130 jobs at its factory in Machrihanish on the west coast of Scotland.

"This does not jeopardize the development of our wind farms. We do use a lot of different manufacturers," a spokeswoman for SSE said.

Workers at the wind turbine tower manufacturing plant were told not to return to work after the holidays, Unite Regional Officer for Scotland Kenny Jordan said.

"The employees are fearful of their future and until we have something guaranteed there will be that anxiety," he said.

The union is meeting with Skykon employees and appointed administrator Ernst & Young to offer assistance and to receive more information on the future of the site.

The Skykon subsidiary has already attracted some offers from potential buyers, a spokesman for Ernst & Young said, without giving further details.

"We are currently reviewing the facility's financial position and order book with a view to assessing its immediate trading prospects," said Ernst & Young's Andrew Davison in a statement.

Danish competitor Vestas sold the plant to Skykon in 2009, but a spokesman said the company had no plans to repurchase it.

Vestas said in October that it planned to cut around 3,000 jobs as demand for wind turbines did not meet previous expectations.

Skykon had planned to treble jobs at the Scottish plant and to expand production capacity.

Related News

Minnestota govenor Tim Walz

Minnesota 2050 carbon-free electricity plan gets first hearing

ST. PAUL - Gov. Tim Walz's plan for Minnesota to get 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 was criticized Tuesday at its first legislative hearing, with representatives from some of the state's smaller utilities saying they can't meet that goal.

Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley told the House climate committee that the Democratic governor's plan is ambitious. But he said the state's generating system is "aging and at a critical juncture," with plants that produce 70 percent of the state's electricity coming up for potential retirement over the next two decades. He said it will ensure that utilities…

READ MORE
globe

Is The Global Energy Transition On Track?

READ MORE

Dr Henri Paillere,

Opinion: Nuclear Beyond Electricity

READ MORE

Idaho Power Settlement

Idaho Power Settlement Could Close Coal Plant, Raise Rates

READ MORE

power lines

Typical Ontario electricity bill set to increase nearly 2% as fixed pricing ends

READ MORE