“UK – Netherlands Offshore Wind Roundtable: Aligning supply chains in the North Sea for a better energy transition” (VIDEO)

The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have shared ambitions when it comes to renewable energy in general and offshore wind in particular. Considering this, how can we collaborate and find synergy within the different projects that the two countries are developing in the North Sea?

During this round table, hosted by Coco Kossmann, we discussed supply chain challenges and opportunities in the offshore wind sector from a studio in Amsterdam. The session was joined by Simon Banham, from the Department for International Trade (DIT), as well as Sharanya Kumaramurthy from the Energy Industries Council (EIC) and Maurits Ornstein from SBM Offshore, each providing strong insights from a government and industry perspective.

The UK has recently increased its installed capacity target to 50GW by 2030, including 5GW of innovative floating offshore wind, and is moving ahead with some robust performance figures delivered by local developers. This creates major investment opportunities in the UK, especially for Dutch companies who have high levels of engineering, installation and manufacturing knowhow.

At the same time, the Dutch sector is developing rapidly, driving accelerated deployment and falling costs, aiming to install 21 GW by 2030, which includes the current development of the world’s first offshore wind farm without subsidies. With this, opportunities arise for UK exports to the Netherlands, particularly for companies that focus on project development, installation, operation and maintenance.
In terms of challenges, these include spatial planning, logistics, system integration, grid congestion, port infrastructure and supply chain shortages. Nevertheless, both the UK and the Netherlands have a strong base to grow from, and will need to continue placing supply chain development at the heart of what they do.

In summary, there are UK solutions that can be a great match for existing needs in the Dutch offshore wind sector and vice versa. At the same time, global developments are also moving forward rapidly, reinforcing the need for cross-border collaboration and continued learning from each other, particularly around policy developments, funding and innovation.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is focused on promoting British international trade and investment around the globe. Based at the British Embassy in The Hague, they do this in two key ways:

• Supporting UK companies that look to export overseas;
• Assisting overseas companies with entering and expanding in the UK market.

If you want to learn more about the technologies and developments mentioned in this article, please get in touch with the team at [email protected].