Press Story

Responding to Vesta’s announcement, IPPR Scotland director Stephen Boyd said:

“Vestas’s decision to invest over €250 million in a new nacelle and hub factory in Scotland is a major vote of confidence in the UK’s clean power mission and industrial strategy. The investment could create up to 500 skilled direct jobs and is especially significant because nacelles are the highest-value part of the turbine.

“IPPR has long argued that the UK was missing out by failing to attract this part of the wind supply chain, and that a serious industrial strategy could change that. This announcement suggests that groundwork is finally being laid to do just that.

“It’s now essential that the UK and Scottish governments work together to ensure this project is pushed forward and that ground is broken on the factory as soon as possible."

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

Stephen Boyd, director of IPPR Scotland, is available for interviews.

CONTACT:

Sukhada Tatke, media and impact officer at IPPR Scotland: s.tatke@ippr.org; 07901169121

NOTES TO EDITORS:

IPPR’s 2024 report, A Second Wind, argued that the UK should use its large and highly developed offshore wind market to win manufacturing investment too by pairing stronger demand certainty through CfDs with active policy support for nacelles facilities, plus investment in ports and installation infrastructure. Our report noted that 42.2% of manufacturing jobs in the wind turbine supply chains are found in nacelle manufacturing, making this a particularly strategic and economically valuable investment to attract.
IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org