Maritime UK launches plan to maximise benefits from offshore wind

Industry group Maritime UK has unveiled a report aimed at driving benefits from offshore wind for the maritime supply chain.

The Offshore Wind Plan report is being launched today at an event at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence in Grimsby. It identifies opportunities such as building vessels in the UK for the offshore wind sector and further growing local ports as centres for manufacturing and assembly for offshore projects.

“To reach the Government’s target of 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, the offshore wind and maritime sectors will need to work collaboratively with aligned objectives to transform and rejuvenate ports around the country, enabling us to manufacture and assemble state-of-the-art turbines and other infrastructure at quayside locations,” said Renewable UK’s director of offshore wind Jane Cooper.

Graham Stuart, minister in the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, welcomed the publication of the plan and committed to “working together to deliver the maximum economic benefit for local areas and helping create more well-paid jobs for those people living in and around our coastal communities."

Some of the plan’s recommendations are: creating career pathways for young people; rewarding higher UK supply chain content in offshore wind projects; reforming the planning system for faster delivery of green projects; and encouraging lenders and investors to finance infrastructure and vessels.

Based on ORE Catapult estimates, 149 Surface Operation Vessels (SOVs) will be needed to serve offshore wind developments in Europe by 2030, and up to 309 by 2050.

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