COVID-19 - Update - 15 April 2020
Staying Safe During COVID-19
Brockwell Energy is prioritising the safety of our employees in these extraordinary and challenging times. Our number one goal is to help halt the spread of COVID-19 for us and the world around us.
We are doing everything we can to preserve the jobs and livelihoods of every single one of our workers, while ensuring our important and innovative energy projects continue to progress.
This year was meant to include important milestones for climate protection and sustainable development, including the 2020 UN Climate Change Conference planned to take place in Glasgow. The unexpected pandemic has seen the cancellation of nearly all such events.
In the short term some renewable energy developments in Scotland will inevitably be on hold, too, as construction is paused to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
Right now, the mounting loss of life is devastating and easing the strain on the NHS, communities and economies is a priority that requires much thought and methodical planning.
As an industry we have yet to analyse the potential long-term impact of the post-COVID-19 world, but a cohesive and coherent strategy will be needed: one that views energy, community, environment and economy as indivisible elements of a holistic system.
This is why Brockwell Energy, with all of our partners in the renewable energy industry, continue to concentrate fully on our response to the outbreak.
We are in contact with industry bodies and there is a regular dialogue with the UK and devolved governments in order to highlight key issues. Paramount among these is the importance of certification and testing for our critical workers.
We appreciate our partners’ understanding of this dynamic situation and can assure you we remain fully committed to resuming full operations as safely and as quickly as possible.
Today’s COVID-19 primary news points are outlined below, and we will endeavour to update you regularly on our website.
Thank you for your continued support. By working together apart, we can all get through this.
Today’s News
Latest Figures for Scotland
Scottish test numbers: 14 April 2020
A total of 32,855 people in Scotland have been tested. Of these:
- 26,497 were confirmed negative
- 6,358 were positive
- 615 patients who tested positive have died
Management information reported by NHS Boards shows:
196 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were in intensive care last night, with 192 of those having tested positive
There were 1,798 people in Scottish hospitals with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (including those in intensive care)
Coronavirus Relief
Foundation Scotland, which administers community benefit payments on behalf of communities, is currently negotiating with around 20 wind farm funds about providing coronavirus relief.
Community Energy Scotland, who co-owns a 7.5MW wind farm near Cockburnspath with Berwickshire Housing Association and provides around £40,000 a year in community funding, is working with a volunteer action group to provide emergency grants to local families in hardship.
Source: The Scotsman
Planning Permissions
The Scottish Government has extended the planning permission periods that would expire within the next six months. Planning permissions are normally valid for three years in Scotland.
Those that were to expire in the next half year will not expire until April 2021 due to the change in law.
Source: Scottish Renewables
European Activity
The majority of Europe’s wind turbine and component factories continue to operate. Six wind energy manufacturing sites are closed mainly in Italy due to strict lockdown regulations. In Spain the previously closed factories are now reopening after the country eased some of the restrictions in force.
Wind energy installations for 2020 will be down as compared to industry forecasts, the impact of COVID-19 on construction activity and installations will depend on the length of national lockdowns, notably in the most heavily impacted countries – Spain, Italy. The supply of components and materials from China is now ramping back up after the interruption in February. But continuous disruptions in the global and European supply chains due to restriction to movement of goods and people are slowing activity and likely to drive up capital expenditures.
It will not be possible to make up the lost ground in wind energy installations in 2021. The outlook for the sector will also depend on the effectiveness of national and EU recovery plans.
Source: Wind Europe
Important Links
While all all regulatory obligations remain in place, renewable energy industry bodies can access the latest official guidance at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Specific questions can also be addressed directly to Ofgem by emailing [email protected]
ENDS