A leading engineering expert has warned that the UK is wasting resources by relying on imported infrastructure, despite having the expertise and workforce to refurbish and reuse existing equipment.
Ben Whitaker, Managing Director of Power Engineering Services (PES), argues that the country’s declining manufacturing sector is an issue that must be urgently addressed. Speaking from his base in Leeds, Whitaker claims that the UK’s approach to infrastructure is inefficient, costly, and environmentally unsustainable.
“This isn’t a capability issue,” Whitaker said. “The expertise, the workforce, and the infrastructure all exist right here. What’s missing is a mindset shift—challenging outdated assumptions that importing new infrastructure is always the better option.”
For years, rising business rates and high overhead costs have driven manufacturing overseas, leaving the UK reliant on foreign imports for critical infrastructure such as substation equipment. At the same time, serviceable domestic assets continue to be discarded, a practice that Whitaker believes is wasteful both financially and environmentally.
Official figures highlight the scale of the problem. UK manufacturing has slipped to 12th place globally, with a total output valued at £217 billion—falling behind countries like Italy and France. Since the pandemic, electrical equipment production has dropped by 50%, chemical industry output has fallen by 38%, and overall industrial activity has declined by 10%.
Whitaker argues that a change in approach could help reverse this decline.
“Too often, fully functional equipment is scrapped when it could be restored, upgraded, and reinstalled at a fraction of the cost of buying new,” he explained. “New transformers and high-voltage switchgear can take up to 22 weeks to arrive, whereas refurbished alternatives are often ready to go in much shorter timeframes.”
The delays in sourcing new infrastructure also pose a challenge for the UK’s net-zero targets. Renewable energy projects are being held up by long waiting times for imported equipment, despite refurbished solutions being available domestically.
“It’s ironic,” Whitaker said. “The UK exports refurbished substation equipment that continues to operate overseas for 30 to 50 years, yet at home, we dismiss the value of those same assets. It’s short-sighted. Sustainability isn’t just about procurement—it’s about resourcefulness.”
To address the issue, Whitaker is calling for greater investment in UK-based engineering and refurbishment. He also emphasised the need to support apprenticeships and training programmes to rebuild the country’s 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 concluded.