Crown Estate: New Strategy Key to Continuing Growth in UK OW Sector

The Crown Estate welcomes the publication of the Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy and its long-term vision for the UK offshore wind industry.

In 2012, offshore wind contributed 2.3 per cent to national electricity needs and this number is set to quadruple according to the latest scenarios presented in the strategy. The strategy is key to the continuing growth of the UK offshore wind sector, ensuring that it contributes to the UK’s electricity mix to 2030 and beyond and creates economic growth through a competitive and sustainable UK based supply chain. The presence of a strong home market will also enable UK-based companies to compete for offshore wind business outside of the UK, where there are tremendous opportunities in Europe and Asia.

The action plan set out in the strategy shows how, with industry and government working together, they can ensure the UK remains the most attractive location for offshore wind development.

The Crown Estate will continue to play their part in this, working with government, industry and others via the Offshore Wind Industry Council and Offshore Wind Programme Board, to support de-risking of projects, technology and the supply chain to provide a stable foundation for growth. For example:

•  Delivering a new leasing programme to facilitate demonstration of technology breakthroughs, including a specific leasing round for new floating solutions for deep water as well as extensions to existing sites and non-grid connected sites and implementation of improved processes and contracting.
• Following the recent Cost Reduction Pathways Study undertaken by The Crown Estate, they will be preparing a Cost Reduction Monitoring Framework, designed to track progress in achieving levelised cost reductions.
• Acting as a facilitator with interested ports and manufacturers, using theirknowledge and expertise to play a key role in helping ports to realise the potential in their sites.
• The Crown Estate publishes a supply chain gap analysis of the offshore wind industry in Europe and will be providing a 2013 assessment by end of summer, together with a high level assessment of the UK supply chain capability.

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Press release, August 1, 2013; Image: thecrownestate