Engineering news
The Crown Estate will partner with Equinor and Gwynt Glas – a joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and ESB – to deliver the two installations off the coast of Wales and South West England, it announced yesterday (19 June).
“The new windfarms will be among the largest of their kind in the world, underlining the UK’s position as the leading market for floating offshore wind in Europe and expected to lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs and more than a billion-pound investment in the UK economy,” the announcement said.
“This is expected to be the first phase of a new industry in the Celtic Sea, with The Crown Estate identifying the potential for a further 4-10 gigawatts to be brought to market by the end of the decade.”
Floating offshore wind enables turbines to be located in deeper waters than is possible with fixed-base turbines, unlocking new areas of seabed such as the Celtic Sea for the generation of secure, renewable energy.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “Floating offshore wind will be transformative for economic growth in Wales and the South West, unlocking thousands of jobs in places like Port Talbot and Bristol, bolstering our energy security and delivering industrial renewal. The Celtic Sea has huge untapped potential to support our mission to become clean energy superpower.”
The news was welcomed by trade organisation RenewableUK. “Wales is poised to play a leading role in offshore wind. Over the next decade alone, there is up to £32bn in economic value at stake, a £4.8bn opportunity for Welsh businesses, alongside more than 3,000 well-paid jobs,” said RenewableUK Cymru director Jessica Hooper.
RenewableUK deputy chief executive Jane Cooper added: “There will also be long-term opportunities in operations and maintenance, supporting local supply chains and providing sustained employment throughout the lifecycle of these projects.
“But this is just the start – the UK already has one of the largest floating project pipelines in the world, so we have an opportunity to deliver green economic growth at scale. Our analysis shows that by 2050, floating turbines could provide a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity, with 40 gigawatts fully operational – enough to power every home in the country.
“By then, our research shows that the UK’s floating wind industry could employ 97,000 people, contributing £47bn to our economy by building and supplying projects here as well as exporting our cutting-edge technology worldwide.”
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