Jobs In The Wind

Monday January 2010, 13:30:18

It has been suggested that the  offshore renewables industry will create 20,000 jobs in Scotland within just ten years, as plans for two massive wind farms off the east coast were given the go ahead.Alex Salmond ,the First Minister,spelt out his view of the scale of the prize for Scotland from offshore renewables, which he said had as much potential as the emerging North Sea oil and gas sector in the early 1970s.His words came as the government confirmed rights had been granted to companies to build two enormous wind farms in the seas off Scotland's east coast.About 850 turbines will be built off Fife in the Firth of Forth, and in the Moray Firth off the north-east coast, under the plans. Mr Salmond said there was "no greater opportunity for our country" than offshore renewables."This is the greatest industrial opportunity since the early 1970s and the development of oil and gas," he said.He said he believed the 1,000 existing Scottish jobs in offshore renewables would multiply 20 fold to 20,000 by 2020.