The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) is launching a GBP 100 million, 10-year programme to support the growth of UK businesses looking to capitalise on the opportunities offered by the growth in offshore wind around the world.
The new initiative, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), is a key part of the recent Sector Deal between industry and Government, which will see at least 30GW of offshore wind installed by 2030, generating a third of the UK’s electricity (up from 8GW now). It will also see UK content in our offshore wind farms increase from 48% currently to 60% by 2030.
The OWGP will be delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult which will provide support to supply chain companies to enable them to grow and to increase their competitiveness. Support will include a range of services such as expert advice on manufacturing and commercialisation as well as funding for innovation.
The programme is expected to support over 650 UK companies to access the domestic offshore wind market, as well as creating further opportunities to enter a global market expected to be worth GBP 30 billion per year by 2030.
The OWGP has already initiated its first project; an in-depth assessment of the offshore wind foundations sector. The study will focus on fixed foundations (monopiles and jackets) but will also consider how this relates to future developments in floating foundations. The study will recommend actions to help support the development of the UK supply chain for foundations through short and long-term initiatives.
