UK offshore wind sector sets outs £25bn regional growth ambitions

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UK offshore wind sector sets outs £25bn regional growth ambitions

The UK offshore wind industry has released a regional growth plan which its says could create an additional 10,000 jobs and provide a £25 billion boost to the UK economy. The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and The Crown Estate (TCE) set out their ambitions for coastal regions in a plan setting out offshore wind […]

The UK offshore wind industry has released a regional growth plan which its says could create an additional 10,000 jobs and provide a £25 billion boost to the UK economy.

The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and The Crown Estate (TCE) set out their ambitions for coastal regions in a plan setting out offshore wind clusters across the UK.

OWIC said the cluster strategy builds on the sector’s industrial growth plan (IGP) released last year, which set out five key manufacturing and technology priorities.

Alongside turbine towers, blades, foundations and cables, the IGP covered operations and maintenance and high-value services such as environmental surveying.

Building on the IGP, OWIC and TCE set out seven offshore wind clusters across the UK and identified targeted areas for manufacturing and services.

These include the Energi Coast Cluster in the north east of England, the Humber Offshore Wind Cluster, the Clean Energy Cluster in Scotland and the Offshore Energy Alliance in the north west of England and northern Wales.

The cluster strategy sets out detailed analysis of each coastal region and identifies which areas are best placed for specific activities set out in the IGP, such as blade manufacturing.

It also sets out where the UK can build on existing facilities and supply chains for export opportunities.

Offshore wind manufacturing

For example, OWIC said the Humber, north east of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland have opportunities to focus on advanced turbine technology including blades and turbine towers.

This could add up to £8bn to the UK economy over the next ten years, OWIC said.

Seven of the clusters are aiming to develop new capabilities in turbine foundations, including for floating wind, potentially adding up to £12bn between now and 2035.

Offshore wind components at the Siemens Gamesa and ABP port facility in Hull. . Hull. Image: Associated British Ports

Meanwhile, four clusters are targeting cable and electrical systems for transmission, adding up to £3.4bn.

RenewableUK deputy chief executive and OWIC director Jane Cooper said the cluster prospectuses show how the UK and build on its strength and successes to date.

“Working with The Crown Estate and the clusters, OWIC has been able to set out which high-value components and services are the best fit for each area,” Cooper said.

“Many of these clusters are already hosting a wide range of offshore wind supply chain companies serving projects here and exporting goods and expertise worldwide, but we can ramp up these activities to a significantly higher level, as these prospectuses demonstrate.”

Offshore wind investment opportunities

Crown Estate offshore wind strategy director Will Apps said the clusters showcase the “exciting investment opportunities” in the UK domestic offshore wind supply chain.

“Critically, the prospectuses seek to unlock the link between the potential strengths of individual regions and set these against the wider domestic and export market opportunity, supporting onshore communities in realising the local economic benefit offshore wind can bring,” Apps said.

An aerial view of Orsted’s East Coast Hub offshore wind facility in Grimsby.

UK energy minister and OWIC government vice-chair Michael Shanks said the clean energy transition is the “economic opportunity of the 21st century”.

“Communities are right at the heart of this energy transition, and that’s what these reports show – coastal communities from the north east of Scotland to the south west of England are benefitting from clean, high-skilled jobs in the offshore wind sector,” Shanks said.

Regional offshore wind plans

Humber Offshore Wind Cluster champion Emma Toulson said the cluster strategy provides each region with a “clear focus” on which major growth opportunities to target.

Similarly, Clean Energy Cluster lead and Scottish Renewables director of energy transition and supply chain Emma Harrick said the opportunity for Scotland stretches “to all corners of the country”.

“The Highlands and Islands offer immense potential with their deep-water ports while Aberdeenshire brings world-class energy and maritime capability,” Harrick said.

“Fife can draw on its critical manufacturing expertise while the Central Belt will continue to serve as a thriving hub of innovation and expertise.

“It is impossible to sum up the strength and depth, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit, of our supply chain across 12 pages.

“But the prospectus is a rousing snapshot of our world class capabilities underscoring the size of the opportunity that is set to come our way.”

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