Offshore wind is a massive opportunity for the UK – not only to meet ambitious climate change targets, but to build a vibrant new industry, create jobs and develop a country-wide supply chain.
The UK is already the largest offshore wind market in the world, with 48 GW of offshore wind sites under way and £200 billion investment predicted over the next ten years.
Tremendous progress is already being made, and this is flowing through the supply chain, with good news on major engineering contracts on a weekly, if not a daily, basis, an increasing number of which are by contractors that have a track record in the oil and gas sector.
This, I believe, is crucial. The UK’s global position in hydrocarbons, and specifically its experience offshore, can have a major impact on offshore wind’s ambitious deployment and cost reduction goals. (more…)