Up to 5,300 new jobs and up to £1.4Bn (US$1.8Bn) could be generated by floating windfarms off the coast of south Wales and southwest England, according to new research commissioned by The Crown Estate
An independent study, ‘The Celtic Sea Blueprint,’ conducted by Lumen Energy & Environment, looked at the minimum requirements needed to deliver the first three projects outlined by The Crown Estate in December. It also examined the gaps, such as ports deep enough for handling the giant turbines, vessels to service the sites, and export cables to transport electricity to land.
“Addressing these gaps will be critical to establishing these first windfarms and, with a further pipeline of windfarms expected in the region as well as rising global demand, the opportunities for ports, manufacturers and the wider supply chain could be far greater,” said The Crown Estate. “Action is required now, locally and nationally, to capture the opportunities associated with this fast, growing innovative new technology.”
The first three floating windfarms, which will be able to generate up to 4.5 GW of electricity, will be some of the largest in the world. Their development could help put the southwest and Wales at the forefront of the development of floating wind, with opportunities from port infrastructure to significant SME support across the supply chain.
In particular, the research highlighted opportunities for the region from the assembly of the large floating platforms, building on the existing local high-skilled welding and concrete expertise and existing local suppliers. It also highlighted opportunities for ports across the region from the assembly, transport and storage of parts during the construction and lifecycle of the sites, while the region’s strong shipping expertise could also be of benefit during the development stages.
More generally, the first three windfarms alone will need more than 260 turbines spread across the three sites; more than 1,000 anchors to secure the turbines to the seabed, and at least 300 km of mooring lines; and nearly 900 km of cables.
The Crown Estate managing director marine Gus Jaspert said, “Floating wind is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the region and the nation. It will boost clean electricity generation by unlocking the deeper waters of the Celtic Sea not previously accessible by fixed turbines and providing greater access to wind blowing from the west.
“The benefits though are even more wide-ranging, opening up wider local and national opportunities for manufacturers and the supply chain, from cables to platform construction to port development, creating thousands of new jobs and skills.
“But there are also gaps in the market. If the UK is to make the most of the economic and environmental opportunities from the transition to renewable energy, we must be on the front foot, acting now to develop the supply chain capability, skills and infrastructure needed to establish not just these windfarms but future floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea and elsewhere.
“Using this research, we want to work with the industry, trade organisations, local communities and across governments to make sure we are harnessing all the available opportunities and supporting the UK in continuing to accelerate its world-leading position in offshore wind.”
RenewableUK chief executive Dan McGrail, co-chair of the Floating Offshore Wind Taskforce said the Celtic Sea Blueprint “shows that floating wind can deliver immense industrial growth throughout the UK,” with multi-billion pound opportunities during the construction phase alone, especially in coastal communities.
Mr McGrail said, “We need to ensure we’re making floating turbines here by upgrading ports so we have the capacity to manufacture and assemble these enormous structures. If we don’t seize this opportunity to capitalise on our global lead in floating wind, other countries will do so.”
RenewableUK Cymru director Jess Hooper said, “Manufacturing is part of the Welsh national story. Retaining, upskilling and transitioning our local workforce towards offshore wind is the single biggest opportunity on the horizon to provide high-quality employment for decades to come.
“Only by developing our port capabilities in south Wales can we do this. Our ports are paramount in attracting the right anchor companies that will safeguard against bottlenecks in project delivery and develop our own local supply chain capabilities. Investment in the region now is critical to delivering on that 4.5 GW of offshore wind at the scale and pace required to meet our net-zero targets.”
The Crown Estate said it is now focused on bringing key parties together to create an action plan for developing supply chain and infrastructure capabilities in the region and across the UK. This includes looking at funding and investment options to accelerate supply chain projects, including a pilot £10M fund to support early-stage projects looking to capture some of the opportunities identified in the research.
The formal tender process for the floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea starts at the end of February 2024.
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