PRESS RELEASE

23 March 2012

LOCAL MSP CALLS FOR FAIR SHARE OF £100 RENEWABLE FUND

Duncan McNeil MSP has urged Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to ensure that Inverclyde benefits from a £100 million renewable energy fund announced by the Scottish Government.  

The fund will help drive forward renewable energy technology and community projects throughout Scotland.

The local MSP has written to the Minister asking for an assurance that communities and businesses in the area will benefit from the multi-million pound package.

The call comes on the back of news that the port of Leith in Edinburgh has been chosen by Spanish company Gamesa for the site of a new wind turbine manufacturing plant.

The £125m investment could create more than 800 jobs.

Duncan McNeil said;

‘While I congratulate the Leith community in its success, yet again investment has gone East and Inverclyde’s renewable potential is being ignored”.

“We have the skills, infrastructure and workforce to become a renewable manufacturing hub and it is vital that the area gets a fair share of the investment from the Scottish Government”.

“I am determined that we should be part of the renewables future and bring green manufacturing jobs back to Inverclyde”.

“This is why I have asked the Energy Minister to give an assurance that our area will benefit from the renewables fund”.