Aus: Green energy market unviable: Vestas

A major world supplier of wind farm technology has been forced to turn its back on Australia because, it says, the green energy market is unviable.

Vestas Australia Wind Technology will close its Portland turbine blade factory at the end of the year because it is not profitable.
One hundred and thirty jobs will be lost, with the closure casting major doubt over the viability of Australia’s renewable energy industry.

Vestas says it could no longer justify keeping the plant open because the investment was not worthwhile in the Australian market.

“It’s definitely a fact that the current environment for the wind industry is not big enough to encourage these kinds of investments,” Vestas Asia-Pacific senior vice-president Jorn Hammer told AAP.

“We have the view that if the government steps up to the plate and puts the necessary security for a long-term market in place we’ll have another look at the market, but I guess we’ll be a little more careful next time.

The Age