The Government has earmarked £300m for Great British Energy to invest in offshore wind supply chains as DESNZ reels from claims that its solar panel supply chain has slave labour.

The Government has brought forward a £300m investment ahead of Spending Review through Great British Energy for global offshore wind investment in supply chains for domestic offshore wind, and the Government hopes that the investment will directly and indirectly mobilise billions in additional private investment.

The fast-tracked funding, brought forward by the Prime Minister ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review, will allow Great British Energy to invest in new supply chains for offshore wind manufacturing components such as floating offshore platforms and cables. This builds on the Government’s investment in domestic supply chains through initiatives such as the Clean Industry Bonus and the National Wealth Fund.

As part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, the new investment in domestic offshore wind is part of the Prime Minister’s drive to ensure that the clean energy future is ‘built in Britain’. The funding will ensure that there can be a resilient domestic supply chains for components which are essential to delivering clean power by 2030.

It comes after news that GB Energy will be blocked form using slavery-linked solar technology and will in future consider human rights of the supply chain in greater detail. Banning the use of components that cannot be verified free of abuses should also lead to more investment in domestic technology and create more jobs and growth.

Christophe Williams, CEO of Naked Energy, commented: “Ed Miliband is drawing an important line in the sand with this news. It’s a win for human rights but also shows a commitment to British business. As a global community we have to reach net-zero, but it mustn’t come at the cost of human suffering. This can't be emphasised enough – the solutions to get us to net zero are already here, so we don’t need to be relying on technology coming from markets using slave labour.

“What is needed is increased investment and attention from the Government. Locally manufactured technology benefits from strong labour laws, which protects workers, and a focus on it will create the domestic growth that the government is pushing for. It’s better for people, businesses and the planet.”

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