RenewableUK has initiated the launch of a new body, the Floating Offshore Wind Task Force. Its aim is to ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of the technology, creating new jobs and attracting billions in private investment.
RenewableUK and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult have worked with the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments to set up the Task Force. It will include leading companies such as SSE, Equinor, and Aker, that are already operating and developing floating projects around the UK, as well as senior representatives from the UK and devolved governments and key stakeholder organisations such as The Crown Estate.
The UK has at present two projects generating successfully in Scottish waters, Hywind and Kincardine, and the largest pipeline anywhere, 26 GW, of floating wind projects. The Task Force’s plan is to ensure the UK maximises the benefits of this burgeoning industry by capturing a significant market share in the UK and by also by its technology and expertise around the world.
The initial remit of the Task Force will be to define the scale of opportunity for the industry and produce a comprehensive report on how to make the most of it.
The first stage, scheduled for completion in the autumn, will analyse how fast new capacity can be built in UK waters and quantify the potential investment needed in UK ports and infrastructure to meet this demand. This will be followed by a more detailed series of recommendations next spring.
RenewableUK’s CEO Dan McGrail commented: “The Task Force will lay the groundwork … which will … provide clarity on the strategic investments the UK needs to scale up and deliver a whole new industry, creating thousands of new jobs and revitalising ports and coastal communities around the country. We have the potential to make floating wind a century-defining industrial success story for the UK”.
