Isra-Mart srl:SSE downplays impact of Skycon collapse on wind farm plans

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has insisted its wind farm projects will not be disrupted by the closure of Skycon's turbine tower plant in Argyll and Bute, following the news that the manufacturer has filed for administration.

A spokeswoman for the utility told BusinessGreen that it expects Skycon to honour a multimillion-pound contract to supply 152 turbines to SSE's Clyde Wind Farm by the middle of this year.

She refused to comment on whether SSE had lined up any other projects with Skycon, but insisted the collapse of the firm would not jeopardise the development of any of SSE's wind farms.

Questions about the future of the supply deal with SSE were asked after Skycon's Danish parent firm last week entered insolvency proceedings, called in the administrators and sent home the majority of the 120-strong workforce at its Scottish plant.

The 350MW Clyde project is expected to be Europe's largest onshore wind farm once a 201MW extension currently being planned by SSE is completed. Skycon won the deal to supply the towers to the plant in 2009, with delivery expected to run to the middle of 2011.

Scotland's Unite union will today meet with the appointed administrators from Ernst and Young, as well as the workforce of Skycon, in an effort to save the facility and jobs.

In a statement, Unite described the news as a tragic development for Scotland's renewable energy industry. "As the biggest employer in a remote area with high unemployment, this latest development is a blow to the local economy," it said.

Regional officer Kenny Jordan said Unite will now do "everything it can to support this valuable asset and the jobs that depend on it".