Help UK shipyards seize on offshore wind and boat bonanza, Tories told
British shipbuilders should benefit from an offshore wind bonanza as energy firms place bigger, more powerful turbines further out at sea, industry leaders demanded today.
Maritime UK called on the Government to shake-up procurement rules so British yards and workers win contracts for supply and maintenance boats servicing wind farms off the coast.
The UK’s offshore wind capacity is due to quadruple over the next seven years.
The Mirror told last month how a Celtic Freeport could be crucial for a vast floating wind farm in the Celtic Sea.
Publishing its 25-page blueprint - Offshore Wind Plan: Maximising the value of offshore wind to the maritime supply chain - trade body Maritime UK urges ministers to “promote changes in procurement rules to reward developers who propose to deliver offshore wind farms with high levels of UK content, thereby maximising the value in using UK content in offshore wind”.
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More turbines are coming as the UK presses ahead with net-zero commitments (Getty Images)It adds: “There are growing opportunities for vessel activity as part of the UK offshore wind supply chain and energy transition, especially from those vessels with extensive experience of working in the UK offshore oil and gas sector.”
Ore Catapult, a research centre for offshore renewable energy, estimates 149 “surface operation vessels” will be needed for offshore wind farms in Europe by 2030, and up to 309 by 2050.
Maritime UK believes boosting UK shipbuilding now would help British companies forge reputations so they win deals in other countries.
It issued a series of recommendations for how the maritime industry, the offshore wind sector, and governments can work together to deliver maximum economic benefits.
“To enable a greater number of UK companies to seize the opportunities on the international stage and become successful exporters, it is vital that more of them take part in domestic offshore wind projects,” says the report.
“Without a track record of securing business domestically, it becomes more difficult to win export work.”
Maritime UK chairman Robin Mortimer said: “The maritime sector already plays a key role in our collective efforts to deliver a cleaner and more sustainable future by the middle of this century.
Maritime UK chairman Robin Mortimer.
RenewableUK’s director of offshore wind, Jane Cooper (Fotowales - Ian Cook)“Maritime UK’s Offshore Wind Plan sets out how delivering energy security through growing offshore wind can drive economic growth and job creation across the country through the maritime supply chain.
“With its people, expertise, equipment and infrastructure, the maritime sector is present throughout the lifecycle of offshore wind and is uniquely placed to deliver well-paid, high-quality jobs and new industries, particularly in coastal towns and cities.”
RenewableUK’s director of offshore wind, Jane Cooper, said the blueprint “will enable the offshore wind industry to work even more closely with our colleagues in the maritime sector on maximising the massive economic opportunities we’re offering, creating tens of thousands of high-quality jobs and attracting billions in private investment over the course of this decade”.
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Andy Reay, of Associated British Ports, said: “Delivering the Offshore Wind Plan’s recommendations and a partnership approach both between supply chain players and industry and governments will be key to achieving the environmental and economic opportunities for the UK.”
Energy Minister Graham Stuart said: "We can all look forward 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."
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