UK Wasting Resources and Money Importing Infrastructure as Manufacturing Faces Rapid Decline, Warn Engineering Experts
The UK is facing a manufacturing crisis, declining faster than any other major economy, an issue that must be addressed urgently, according to Ben Whitaker, Managing Director of Power Engineering Services (PES).
Whitaker, whose company specialises in electrical infrastructure refurbishment and maintenance, says there are immediate and sustainable solutions already available within the UK that could help reverse the trend.
“This isn’t a capability issue. The expertise, the workforce and the infrastructure all exist right here,” Whitaker explains. “What’s missing is a mindset shift, challenging outdated assumptions that importing new infrastructure is always the better option.”
Historically, high overhead costs and business rates prompted many manufacturers to move production overseas, leaving the UK reliant on imports of substation equipment, while continuing to discard serviceable domestic assets. This practice, Whitaker argues, not only wastes money but increases the UK’s carbon footprint through unnecessary freight, copper mining and coal-powered production abroad.
Meanwhile, UK manufacturing output has dropped to 12th globally, now valued at £217 billion, trailing behind countries like Italy and France. Since the pandemic, chemical industry output has fallen by 38%, electrical equipment by 50%, and overall industrial output by 10%.
Whitaker believes part of the solution lies in rethinking how the UK approaches infrastructure replacement.
“Too often, fully functional equipment is scrapped when it could be restored, upgraded and reinstalled at significantly lower cost and with much shorter lead times than ordering new,” he says. “Where new transformers and high-voltage switchgear can take 8 to 22 weeks to arrive, refurbished equipment is often ready to go, depending on stock and scheduling.”
The delays also stall progress toward net-zero targets, with renewable energy infrastructure projects waiting on long delivery times, despite viable alternatives already available on home soil.
“It’s ironic,” adds Whitaker. “The UK exports refurbished substation products that continue to operate for 30 to 50 years overseas, yet domestically we often dismiss the value of those same assets. It’s short-sighted. Sustainability isn’t just about procurement, it’s about resourcefulness.”
Whitaker is calling for renewed investment in UK-based engineering and refurbishment, along with support for apprenticeships and training to rebuild a resilient, self-sufficient industrial supply chain.
“We have what we need, we just need to back British engineering and make better use of the tools already in our hands,” he concludes.
