Industrial prospects for city forgot firm that is belting ahead

i READ with interest the article by Jim Dick (Yorkshire Post, November 14) in praise of Hull’s industrial prospects and noting its historical family enterprises.

It seemed a little unfair in this respect not to have included the business set up in 1861 by Joseph Henry Fenner, which by all accounts is today forging ahead as never before, acquiring business worldwide and maintaining profits.

The omission, I fear, may well be on account of one of Fenners’ best known products being the conveyor belt, essential in the mining of coal, which in the best circles nowadays is regarded as virtually an illicit substance.

In a few years’ time, when even Chris Huhne has despaired of wind power, I imagine the demand for coal will be undiminished.

Leaving the factor of wind power thankfully to one side, I gladly share Mr Dick’s confidence in Hull’s other future prospects, whether “green” or otherwise.

From: Ian W Murdoch, Spring Hill, Welbury, Northallerton.

YOU had a brief announcement of a further offshore wind generation facility off the Withernsea coast, which carried a misleading statement on the number of homes which the installation would supply with electricity (Yorkshire Post, November 30).

Your report should have made it clear that the 80 turbines of 245MW capacity will need to operate at a steady load factor of 32.8 per cent to provide power to about 150,000 homes.

As the Government’s own figures show that offshore wind turbines have only averaged 22.8 per cent over the last seven years, it would interesting to know what miracle Dong Energy are to work to boost the wind strength off Withernsea by almost 50 per cent.

These claims are based on an average figure over a year, and it now clear that the output will vary enormously hour by hour, and the only way any of the 150,000 homes can be guaranteed their electricity supply, will be for the wind installation to be backed up by stand-by fossil fuel generators.

From: Gordon Lawrence, Stumperlowe View, Sheffield.

THE Government’s programme to pursue its obsession with climate change is now causing widespread disquiet as carbon capture and other schemes impact negatively on the economy and people’s welfare.

The outlook, indeed, looks grim for, in 10 year’s time, green taxes will amount to a third of energy prices. Vital economic growth, too, is being stifled.

An entire industry has developed on the back of the CO2 fixation that long ago attained an unstoppable momentum.

I’m no environmental reactionary; I welcome many of the reforms to conserve fossil fuels and protect rain forests.

By all means, go for insulating homes and reducing the pollution output of cars but at a time of financial mayhem, the expense and extent of most of the global targets, and our own over-ambitious commitment, is, on the basis of such an indeterminate debate, an enterprise loaded with highly predictable dangers and uninsured benefits.