HC Deb 04 March 1994 vol 238 cc892-3W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies he has undertaken as to the impact on British manufacture of wind power turbines and employment in the wind energy sector of United Kingdom wind farms of different sizes.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 3 March 1994]: I have not undertaken any studies. A British manufacturer has supplied 70 wind turbines to wind farms in the United Kingdom, worth nearly £20 million, and my Department estimates that there are over 400 people currently employed in the wind energy sector in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the size of the world wind turbine market at present; what its growth has been over the last four years; what share of it is held by British manufacturers; and what proportion of wind turbines in the United Kingdom have been manufactured within the United Kingdom.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 3 March 1994]: The Government do not have statistics of the world market for wind turbines. The following estimates have been based on available published data:

  1. (i) The total capacity currently installed world-wide: 2600 MW.
  2. (ii) The total capacity installed worldwide in each of the past four years:

Year Megawatts
1990 300
1991 150
1992 250
1993 300

(iii) The total capacity world-wide supplied by British manufacturers: 55 MW. (iv) 20 per cent. of the wind turbines in the United Kingdom are of British manufacture.