The UK’s Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) has announced a new scheme to support UK businesses entering the offshore wind energy industry.
The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, set to run for 10 years with £100m (€111.8m) in funding, is anticipated to provide support and funding to around 650 UK businesses, helping them to increase their market presence and boost their international competitiveness. As part of the Sector Deal signed between the UK government and the wind energy industry in March 2019, offshore wind power generation will produce at least 30 gigawatts of energy by 2030: around a third of the UK’s electricity, projected to be worth £2.6bn (€2.9bn).
The support provided to businesses under the new partnership programme, delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, will take the forms of expert guidance on building and promoting offshore wind turbines, as well as funding for research and innovation. The programme’s stated goals are:
- Supporting businesses based in the UK which currently form part of the offshore wind energy supply chain;
- Boosting the exporting opportunities available to UK businesses;
- Opening the wind energy supply chain to businesses which are not currently affiliated; and
- Stimulating research and innovation within the wind industry, with the aim of helping develop the next generation of offshore wind technology.
Benj Sykes, Industry Chair of the OWIC and Ørsted UK Country Manager for Offshore, said: “The offshore wind industry is offering multi-million pound opportunities to hundreds of innovative companies throughout the UK in the years ahead – including new entrants to the market as well as firms already working in this area. The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership will provide practical help for UK companies so they can compete successfully for contracts in this thriving global market. The UK’s global pre-eminence in offshore wind means we are uniquely placed to sell our innovative products and services worldwide.”
