For some time it has been more than obvious that the Government of the UK was desperately trying to avoid building this airport as it would cost the Tax Payers a huge amount to support same. The various comments about the build costs of up to €380 million and the obvious inference that the award was going to be accorded to an Italian company did not help. (It was obvious at the start that the so-called estimates given by the advisers W S Atkins and others were well under the truth.

Perhaps the move by Peter Kershaw and his partners should now be tested to the better. If they see this as a real venture than they should make the play before the Chinese look at it.

Perhaps the familiar ring with the project is that the reason for the airport in St Helena was to be a spur for including the island in the tourist book – a position which I have to say would be very much welcomed. It is doubtful whether the tourist industry alone could justify the position.

This development should not be viewed in isolation since there are other potential developments afoot which I understand are in discussion in the background which could improve matters.

The location and the area of the island and the sea around it as being a source of wealth that can be used in addition to other materials to promote a renewable fuels (or biofuels) industry. Although such an industry would support the production of the fuel needed to support air transport as well as the local transport (albeit one that is very small) as well as for export. How can this be? Well the truth is out there that in a series of quiet discussions away from the glare of publicity proposals are afoot to build a biofuels facility on the island which could produce all the fuel required for air transportation and shipping to the island as well as for export. It is rumoured that such a proposal completely funded from outside – not needing British Government support – would produce 140 million litres of the renewable fuel Ethanol and the further production of 60 million litres of the renewable fuel for air transport Butanol using Biomass grown from natural sources as well as from the oceans. Such a proposal would incur an investment of the best part of €200 million (plus a small contingency) and create anywhere between 140 and 200 jobs – permanent ones at that! It would take around 30 months to build from start to finish. Better still with the rewards as an exported material the biofuel Ethanol would be a welcomed additional source of fuel that could be exported – in the worst case scenario – to the Far East where demands are phenomenal.

The airport though would be a useful adjunct to this development for although such a project would – in theory stand-alone without it – the premise for its sustainability would be better served in that event. However having heard about this development it also appears that as a result of previous developments in the aircraft industry that it would be possible to service the island through the use of a much shorter runway using the latest aircraft being developed in Brazil and the USA. (In days past during the development of Flying Boats this position could have been viewed as an option. A similar option also was available with the The same is true of the ground effect aircraft developed in the old Soviet days that Boeing is now developing. Perhaps there is an option here to get to St Helena, but even if it is it would still need fuel.

From what I hear the issue is not necessarily the airport but the more important ones of improving the wealth of the Saints in St Helena. By making biofuels on the island we can do this and the proposal afott will do that.

Insist on it for the Saints.

I think it’s clear at this stage an incoming conservative government will do pretty much anything his Lordship tells them. They’re privileged to get a personal visit though. Normally he just sends Hague.